Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Jimmy Crooks (8) stands at bat against the San Francisco Giants during the first inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Cardinals Star Prospect Already Emerging as Early Callup Candidate

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Zach Pressnell | Last updated Apr 9, 2026 2:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals opted for a rebuild this year, and it's seemingly beginning to pay off early in the season. The Cardinals don't look like a World Series contender, obviously, but their young players are producing and improving at the biggest stage.

JJ Wetherholt and Jordan Walker are two of the youngest players in the big leagues, and both have helped lead the Cardinals this year. The future is certainly bright. And there's even more talent in the minor leagues.

In fact, the Cardinals' farm system has quickly become one of the best units in the league. St. Louis has multiple top prospects still in the minor leagues, though the front office could begin promoting some studs in the coming weeks.

MLB.com's Sam Dykstra, Jim Callis, and Jonathan Mayo recently put together a list with one potential impact callup for each team in MLB. For the Cardinals, they highlighted stud catching prospect Jimmy Crooks as the player who could make an impact in St. Louis.

Cardinals could turn to Jimmy Crooks sooner rather than later

Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

"This only feels like a matter of time. Crooks appeared in 15 MLB games last season, but the Cardinals went with Iván Herrera, Pedro Pagés and Yohel Pozo as their three catchers out of camp this spring," they wrote. "The 24-year-old backstop has responded by hitting .375/.516/.917 with four homers and six walks through his first seven games back with Triple-A Memphis, and he’s thrown out two of four attempted basestealers to boot. Considered a gifted framer, Crooks would be a defensive asset at the least for St. Louis whenever his return call comes."

Crooks is a defense-first catcher who could come to the big leagues and move Ivan Herrera to designated hitter.

Crooks struggled a bit last season with the Cardinals, which is likely the biggest reason he's beginning the season in Triple-A. But he's scorching hot in Triple-A right now, slashing .321/.457/.786 with four homers, a double, and eight runs scored in only eight games.

Considering Crooks is a glove-first backstop, numbers like these are very impressive. If he can be a catcher with a .700 to .800 OPS at the big league level, paired with his impressive defense, the Cardinals will be in a very good spot. It's difficult to find a prospect who can hit and play defense behind the plate like Crooks.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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