While this is an article about the hot start that Jimmy Crooks has gotten off to for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, there’s a lesson that I’m learning as I write and polish this article. The lesson is simple, and I’m embarrassed that I’m just now learning it: It’s impossible to write an article about a Cardinals catching prospect without Yadier Molina’s legacy -- and thus, the question about his heir -- still hanging over the conversation. It’s the elephant in the catcher’s room. I’m not going to be able to answer if Jimmy Crooks is the long-term answer for the Cardinals at catcher. It’s my opinion that it’s the hardest position to play in all of professional sports, and the Cardinals roster already has three catchers in Iván Herrera, Pedro Pagés and Yohel Pozo. On top of that, Crooks’ Memphis teammate, Leo Bernal, is MLB Pipeline’s No. 91 overall prospect. All four of these players will have something to say about who is the next sustainable everyday catcher for the Cards. But none of them has come close to having the start to the 2026 season that Crooks has. Factually, few hitters in Triple-A have come close to Crooks’ start. Through Sunday, Crooks had a wRC+ of 258, good for third best in the International League. In 26 plate appearances over six games, Crooks had three home runs, one double and six RBIs, all while slashing .400/.538/.900. The highlight of his early season success came on April 1, when Crooks went 4-for-4 with a home run, a double and two RBIs. |
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Crooks’ BABIP to start the season is an unsustainable .455, but he’s not just “lucking” into hits. Crooks’ average exit velocity on his first 12 batted balls was 98.5 mph, and his max exit velocity on the season is 107.9 mph. For reference, in his 278 batted balls at Triple-A in 2025, Crooks had an average exit velocity of 89.7 mph. Crooks has also increased his hard-hit rate from 42.1% in 2025 to 69.2% in the early part of his ‘26 season. As impressive as Crooks’ work has been in the batter’s box, he’s been even more impressive with the “tools of ignorance” behind the plate. Crooks is 2-for-2 throwing out baserunners -- both by a mile, at that -- and he was responsible for challenging a close pitch that was overturned by the ABS Challenge System, resulting in Tink Hence’s first Triple-A strikeout. |
The success to start the 2026 Triple-A season is extra sweet for Crooks, specifically after a rough start to his big league career when he was called up to the Majors last September. In 46 plate appearances during that small September sample, Crooks slashed .133/.152/.244. The highlight of his brief callup came when he hit a home run in his first Major League start. As his 2026 season progresses, I’ll be keeping a close eye on Crooks’ swing decisions. During his 2025 Major League debut, Crooks was overly aggressive at the plate. He did not take a walk, and he was particularly aggressive swinging at pitches in the shadow zone. Early into the 2026 Triple-A season, Crooks continues to be an aggressive swinger. If he is to reach his potential as an everyday Major League catcher, continued refining of his aggressiveness at the plate is going to be the key. There’s little doubt that he’s capable of playing of playing defense at the Major League level. Only time will tell if Crooks will be the starting catcher for seasons to come with the St. Louis Cardinals. If his first week and a half of the 2026 season is any indication, he’s on the path to at least getting the chance to prove he’s deserving of the opportunity. |
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Note: All stats and records are entering Monday Triple-A Memphis (8-1): As impressive as Crooks has been at the plate, Blaze Jordan, the Cardinals’ No. 26 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, has been even more impressive. His 273 wRC+ is second best in the International League. Jordan has three home runs and two doubles in 28 plate appearances to start the season, as well as a 14.3% strikeout and a 7.1% walk rates. He has split time between first base and third base to start the season. The other offensive standout for Memphis has been infielder César Prieto, who has been playing shortstop for Memphis. He’s slashing .462/.517/.731 in 29 plate appearances, with two home runs and a double. |
Double-A Springfield (3-0): Infielder Dakota Harris made a strong impression on Opening Day, hitting a grand slam to start the scoring, then following it up with a three-run home run later in the game. If that wasn’t impressive enough, the 11th-round selection from the 2023 MLB Draft followed that up with another grand slam on Saturday night. It doesn’t get much better than that. Jurrangelo Cijntje, MLB Pipeline’s No. 85 overall prospect, got the Opening Day start and pitched an easy 5 2/3 scoreless innings. Cijntje allowed one hit and two walks while striking out seven on his way to earning the win. |
High-A Peoria (1-2): Opening Night went about as well as an Opening Night can for an affiliate, as some of the Cardinals’ top prospects made huge impacts. Right-hander Tanner Franklin, the club’s No. 11 prospect, dominated over 3 2/3 innings. The righty allowed only one hit while walking two and striking out nine. The 72nd overall pick from last summer’s MLB Draft touched 100.3 mph with his fastball while registering 15 swinging strikes. Outfielder Tai Peete, 20, got the scoring started with a home run, and 19-year-old catcher Rainiel Rodriguez hit a moonshot of a home run. Peete and Rodriguez are the No. 18 and No. 3 prospects in the organization, respectively. Single-A Palm Beach (1-2): On Friday night, the story was the organizational debut of three 2025 Draft picks: left-hander Cade Crossland (fourth round), right-hander Kaden Echeman (12th round) and righty Jake Shelagowski (13th round). This followed the organizational debut of Ethan Young -- a right-hander selected in the fifth round of that same Draft -- on Thursday night. However, the standout performance came on Thursday night from 16th-rounder Alex Breckheimer in relief. The righty dominated over his first three innings before fatiguing entering his fourth inning of work and allowing two runs. Over those three-plus innings, Breckheimer flashed 99 mph velocity while striking out six. |
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