Bernal went 1-for-2 with a three-run home run and two walks in Sunday's 6-4 loss to the Brewers.
Bernal showed plenty of promise over his 24 games in the majors to close out the campaign. He hit .284 with an .807 OPS, five homers, 21 RBI, 12 runs scored and three doubles while seeing time at catcher, first base and designated hitter. Bernal is expected to be the Cardinals' catcher of the future, and his first sample of work in the majors is an encouraging sign of what kind of production he can provide.
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Cardinals' Leo Bernal: Preparing for heavy workload in 2027
Rotowire
The Cardinals believe Bernal can be "an everyday, workhorse catcher," per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and are giving him a heavy workload down the stretch to prepare him to be the everyday catcher in 2027.
Bernal has started all 19 games since being promoted Sept. 1, including 13 starts at catcher. The 22-year-old rookie has slashed .299/.341/.494 with four home runs and 17 RBI and has also drawn rave reviews for his work with the pitching staff. St. Louis is overloaded with catching depth, but it's become clear that it sees Bernal opening 2027 at the top of the depth chart at the position. Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages, Jimmy Crooks and eventually Rainiel Rodriguez are also in the mix at catcher for the Cardinals, though they could move Herrera off the position permanently at some point.
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Cardinals' Leo Bernal: Lifts homer in loss
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Bernal went 1-for-5 with a solo home run in Saturday's 6-5 loss to the White Sox.
Bernal has an extra-base hit in each of his last three games, going 5-for-13 with six RBI in that span. The catcher has hit safely in 10 of his 11 major-league games so far, showing decent plate discipline with a 4:8 BB:K. He's batting .311 with three homers, 13 RBI, eight runs scored and two doubles across 49 plate appearances.
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Cardinals' Leo Bernal: Swats second homer
Rotowire
Bernal went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run in Wednesday's 7-6 loss to the Giants.
In his ninth career MLB game, Bernal nearly put a ball into the ocean at Oracle Park, launching a Blade Tidwell fastball over the right-field wall in the third inning. The rookie catcher has looked good since his September promotion, batting .278 (10-for-36) with a double, two homers, six runs and 10 RBI. St. Louis' system is stacked when it comes to catching -- Ivan Herrera continues to split his time between defensive duties and DH, while Rainiel Rodriguez has made it to Double-A as a 19-year-old and Jimmy Crooks is stuck at Triple-A despite a .994 OPS this season for Memphis -- but Bernal is making a strong case to be part of the picture behind the plate in 2027.
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Cardinals' Leo Bernal: Homers in second career game
Rotowire
Bernal went 1-for-4 with a two-run home run in Wednesday's 8-6, extra-inning win over the Dodgers.
After a 1-for-5 debut Tuesday, Bernal delivered his first big-league homer in his second game. The 22-year-old got the start at designated hitter Wednesday, but he's expected to see a decent share of playing time at catcher over the remainder of the campaign, though the Cardinals also have Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages capable of playing behind the dish. Bernal hit .278 with an .831 OPS at Triple-A Memphis this year prior to his promotion.
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Cardinals' Leo Bernal: Officially promoted to majors
Rotowire
The Cardinals recalled Bernal from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday.
Bernal earned the call-up after slashing .278/.363/.468 with 16 home runs across 101 contests for Memphis. He will join fellow catchers Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages on the roster, but Bernal could receive the lion's share of reps behind the plate in September as the Cardinals look to see where he might fit into their plans for 2027.
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Cardinals' Leo Bernal: Expected to be called up Tuesday
Rotowire
The Cardinals are expected to promote Bernal from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.
Bernal will make the jump to the major-league level after slashing .278/.363/.468 with 16 home runs and nine stolen bases over 101 contests with Memphis this season. The 22-year-old has played primarily behind the plate, but he has also seen some exposure to first base and designated hitter during his time at Triple-A.
