St. Louis Cardinals eye a bright future as two catchers—Jimmy Crooks and Rainiel Rodriguez—earn recognition as top bounce-back and breakout candidates for 2026. With Ivan Herrera’s power bat, Pedro Pagés’ defense, and emerging prospects Leonardo Bernal and Rodriguez surging up MLB Pipeline’s rankings, could the Cardinals’ catching corps become a cornerstone of their next contending team?

JD Hafron spotlights the depth at catcher, analyzes which young talents might be trade bait, and breaks down what Rodriguez’s rare power at age 18 means for the Cardinals’ offensive outlook. Also on deck: updates on St. Louis’ rotation search after missing out on Zach Eflin, division rival moves—including the Reds’ and Pirates’ new acquisitions—and lingering questions around Nolan Arenado’s future.

0:00 — Cardinals Catcher Depth/Crooks Bounce Back
10:00 — Breakout Prospect: Rodriguez
18:10 — NL Central Updates

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