Leo

Bernal

Bernal, whose impressive late-season audition should make him a strong candidate for the Cardinals’ 2027 roster, struck out in his other three at-bats. The homer was a 106-mph rocket that knocked Aaron Brooks out of the game in the fourth.

Bernal’s home run was his fourth of the season. He hit a two-run shot off Nationals reliever Yovanny Cruz in the eighth inning. The 22-year-old rookie continued his hot hitting at the plate. He’s hitting .311 with an .868 OPS and 17 RBI this year.

Bernal’s lone hit on the afternoon was a game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth. The rookie was hitting second for the first time Wednesday, and he has started all 15 games since debuting on September 1. Bernal’s Statcast metrics have popped in a small sample, making him a must-roster player in fantasy down the stretch. It’ll be fascinating to see how the Cardinals handle all their catching depth heading into 2027.

Bernal had three hits for the second time in his last four games. He’s only appeared in 13 games and has just 52 at-bats, but he’s hitting .327 with three home runs, 14 RBI and a .933 OPS. Bernal is worth adding in two-catcher formats as his hot start to his MLB career continues.

Bernal’s home run was his third. He hit a solo shot off White Sox reliever Grant Taylor in the eighth inning, which put the Cardinals up 5-4. Bernal has hit two home runs in his last three games. He’s hitting .313 with a .923 OPS and 13 RBI in the first 45 at-bats of his MLB career. Bernal is worth considering in all two-catcher formats.

Bernal led off the second inning with a double and scored on a fielder’s choice to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead. He then walloped an RBI double in the fifth inning that extended that lead to 6-2. He also tacked on an RBI single in the seventh to cap off the Cardinals’ scoring. The 22-year-old has impressed in his limited action thus far, slashing .325/.386/.525 with a pair of homers and 12 RBI in his first 44 plate appearances at the game’s highest level.

Bernal delivered a three-run shot off Blade Tidwell in the third inning, putting St. Louis up 4-1. It was his second career home run. Bernal made his big-league debut on September 1 and has started every game since. He has mostly been behind the plate while mixing in at DH and first base. The 22-year-old only has 40 major-league plate appearances, but his early Statcast numbers are strong. The Cardinals’ system has plenty of catcher depth, so it’ll be interesting to see how Bernal is deployed alongside Ivan Herrera heading into 2027.

If you’re going to have to take a day off on occasion, doing so against Tarik Skubal isn’t the worst idea in the world. Leo Bernal will start in his place at first base and will bat fifth for the Cardinals on Thursday night.

Bernal DH’d tonight after catching in his major league debut Tuesday. His homer in the seventh, a 377-foot fly to right center, brought the Cardinals to within one run. In the ninth, he hit a 359-footer down the right field line that would have been a homer in 23 ballparks but not at Dodger Stadium. Bernal is 2-for-9 with four RBI in his two games, and it looks like he might get enough playing time to justify a roster spot in two-catcher leagues.

With Jimmy Crooks being sent down on Monday, Bernal will split time with Pedro Pages behind Ivan Herrera in St. Louis. The 22-year-old is the seventh-ranked prospect in the Cardinals organization and hit .278/.363/.468 with 16 home runs, 77 RBI, and nine steals in 101 games at Triple-A this season. He would be interesting in two-catcher formats if he got consistent playing time behind the plate with Herrera at DH, but it remains to be seen if that will happen.