The Cardinals ranked 17th in MLB in caught stealing percentage in 2026, but rookie backstop Leo Bernal gives them hope with his MLB-best 85.8 mph average on his throws to second base. Ivan Herrera, who threw out just one of 38 base stealers, averaged just 76.6 mph on his throws in 2026.
A young and feisty Cardinals club that spent most of the 2026 season answering questions about its personnel still has two burning questions to answer before the start of the 2027 season.
What do they do about their catching situation in terms of controlling the running game? And, more specifically, can they afford to continue using Ivan Herrera behind the plate?
The Cardinals ranked 17th in MLB in caught stealing percentage in 2026, catching just 19 percent of base runners. Foes weren’t afraid to run on the Cardinals with their 113 stolen base attempts serving as the 11th most in MLB.
Herrera, who the Cardinals wanted to keep in the lineup every day while either catching or at the Designated Hitter spot, statistically ranked as one of MLB ‘s worst catchers at slowing the running game. He threw out just one of 38 base stealers with the one runner being caught being Reds’ speedster Elly De La Cruz on Aug. 17. Herrera’s minus-seven rating in terms of Caught Stealing Above Average ranked last in MLB among qualified catchers.
Leo Bernal, who made his debut on Sept. 1 and incredibly drove in 21 runs in his 24 MLB games, offered some hope for the Cardinals defensively, but still he threw out just four of 15 base runners over the final month of the season. His 27 percent success rate trails the MLB average of 29 percent.
Pedro Pages was the Cardinals best defensive catcher, but he lost his job as the early-season starter because of his offensive struggles. Pages threw out 15 of 48 base stealers, with his 31 percent caught-stealing rate ranking third in MLB among catchers with at least 15 of them. Also, his 15 thrown out base runners tied for seventh among all MLB catchers.
Jimmy Crooks, who spent nearly three months at the big-league level before being swapped out for Bernal, threw out just one of the 11 base stealers he saw.
One area where Bernal has shown tremendous promise: His 85.8 mph average velocity on his throws tied for first with Pittsburgh’s Henry Davis in MLB among all catchers. That particular statistic is flattering to Herrera, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right elbow to remove loose bodies last winter. Herrera’s throws averaged just 76.6 mph this past season, tied for 86th among catchers.
The Cardinals prioritized keeping Herrera’s bat in the lineup daily and he finished second in MLB in plate attempts with 717 as he played in 161 of 162 games. He tied a 116-year Cardinals record by getting hit with 31 pitches, and he finished eighth in the National League in runs scored with 98. However, Herrera’s offensive numbers – he slashed .241/.353/.382/.735 with 26 doubles, 19 homers and 69 RBI – dipped a bit as he caught more games in 2026 (52) than in 2025 (14).
“I learned a lot this year from playing every day because it is the first time I’ve ever done this,” Herrera said. “The best thing is that I still feel really good after playing every day. That’s something I’ll probably continue doing.”
Whether Herrera will continue to catch remains to be seen. The Cardinals experimented with him in left field for four games in 2025, and he played first base in one game in 2026. His future likely lies at DH, where he played 108 games in 2026 and 89 games in 2025. Still, Herrera is holding out hope he can continue catching despite his throwing woes.
“I don’t know what will happen, but I am going to put in a lot of work this offseason and we’ll see where things go next year,” Herrera said. “I definitely need to improve my defense because I don’t feel like I’m where I need to be. So, I definitely need to work hard to play that position, but I’ll play anywhere they want me to play.”
