Right now, no team in the league is rebuilding as aggressively as the St. Louis Cardinals. Over the past year, they have made numerous transactions to strengthen their farm system, but this has ruined their big league roster.
The Cardinals are preparing for a rebuilding season in 2026 in light of this. The team’s best prospects are under a lot of pressure to travel to St. Louis and perform well. The Cardinals’ top young players will undoubtedly have many opportunities, but only those who perform well will get playing time.
Adam Akbani of Just Baseball recently expressed his admiration for Jimmy Crooks, a catcher prospect for the Cardinals, even going so far as to say Crooks might have an impact on the major league team this season.
Jimmy Crooks could make an impact in St. Louis
“Another intriguing backstop, Jimmy Crooks is ahead of Bernal in the pecking order, given that he’s already had a taste of big-league action,” Akbani stated. “He had a rough start to 2025, but he picked up speed in the second half, scoring 129 wRC+ over his final 136 PAs. With mediocre contact and power and weak plate discipline, Crook’s offensive game currently trails behind his defense.
He has a remarkable throwing arm behind the dish, catching 29.4% of baserunners at Memphis. Jimmy has received recognition on all levels for his ability to seamlessly guide his pitching staffs and for being an above-average framer and blocker. At worst, he appears to be an excellent backup, but at the moment, he profiles as an average starter.
Despite being one of baseball’s better catching prospects, Crooks plays for a team that boasts several other elite catching prospects. Nevertheless, Crooks’ defense gives him a strong chance of staying in the role for the long haul.
He could be the Cardinals’ finest defensive backstop in addition to being their third-best catching prospect. The Cardinals might employ him in the starting lineup while the other top catching prospects get more time as designated hitter if he can discover a league average bat in his potential.
Although it’s too soon to predict how things will turn out, it’s obvious that Crooks might play a significant role in the Cardinals’ future.
