Jimmy Crooks

The Cardinals have several young catchers vying for playing time over the next couple years. Ivan Herrera, despite being UT-only entering 2026 in many formats, is the cream of the crop, but Crooks might be the favorite to be Herrera's primary backup going forward. Baseball America grades Crooks as an above-average defender with an above-average arm, which means he just needs to be passable on offense to provide requisite value. He dominated Double-A in 2024 as a 22-year-old, logging a 152 wRC+, thanks in part to a .390 BABIP. Crooks took a step back in 2025 at Triple-A, with his strikeout rate jumping from 21 percent to 26.5 percent and his walk rate dipping from 11.6 percent to 8.4 percent. Even so, he slashed a respectable .274/.337/.441 while hitting 14 home runs in 98 games, good for a 104 wRC+ in his first tour of Triple-A. Crooks, who hits without batting gloves, is a natural line-drive hitter, which prevents him from maximizing his over-the-fence power. He won't unseat Herrera, but Crooks' combination of defensive chops and average power should make him a respectable big-league backup. Read Past Outlooks