Pedro Pagés, a favorite in the Cardinals clubhouse because of his quick wit and his relatability among both pitchers and position players, showed off the many ways he can have an impact on a game in a recent win over the Guardians.
ST. LOUIS – A light-hitting catcher whose specialty is handling the pitching staff and controlling the running game, Pedro Pagés’ contributions often fly below the radar for the St. Louis Cardinals.
However, that certainly wasn’t the case in the Cards 5-3 defeat of the Guardians – a game where Pagés contributed to the win in obvious, tangible ways and even in a few surprising aspects.
Pagés, a favorite in the Cardinals clubhouse because of his quick wit and his relatability among both pitchers and position players, not only singled in his team’s first run on Wednesday, but he used some heady baserunning to take second base when the outfielder’s throw sailed high over the cutoff man’s head. Then, when Cleveland starter Slade Cecconi paid the catcher with below-average speed little to no attention, Pagés incredibly swiped third base.
Though he runs like most catchers, Pagés hustling ways embodied the Cardinals stated mission of keeping the pressure eon foes with their aggressive nature on the basepaths. In this instance, however, Pagés was thinking a bit more selfishly as he giggled about his base-running thefts.
“I was so happy when I did that,” Pagés said of swiping third base for the first time in his MLB career. “Last year, I didn’t get a steal, and I got two my first year (in 2024). That’s something that is a lot of fun.”
Pagés had more later in the game when he cut down Cleveland’s Daniel Schneemann while trying to steal second base in the third inning. The strong throw and quick tag by shortstop Masyn Winn gave Pagés a fourth caught stealing this season in 15 tries. That 26.7 percent success rate is right in line with the 27.9 percent of base stealers that he nailed in 2025 (24 of 86).
Throwing out a runner, taking an extra base on an overthrow, stealing a base and singling in a run made for one of Pagés’ best games of the season.
“I’m starting to simplify stuff, sticking to my approach and my plan and doing my little back knee thing,” Pagés said of the twist in his pre-swing approach. “At the end of the day by simplifying my approach, looking for heaters and reacting to spin, that’s what I do well, and I want to keep doing that.”
The 27-year-old native of Maracay, Venezuela, who immigrated to South Florida with his family and also played collegiately at Florida Atlantic has not had a passed ball and committed just one throwing error this season, statistics that speak to his high level of defensive skills behind the plate. Offensively, he’s hitting just .206, but he’s contributed a double, a homer, five RBI and Wednesday’s stolen base.
Though his contributions often go unnoticed – and make him a target of a fanbase eager to see the promotions of Triple-A standouts Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal – Pagés has the full respect of his teammates and the Cards’ coaching staff.
“He does a lot of stuff for us on both sides of the ball and just talking to (pitching coach) Dusty (Blake), there were some things that Pedro did behind the plate by navigating that (Cleveland) lineup,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “Throwing out that runner, laying down a good bunt, advancing on a throw – he did a lot of little things for us.”
'Some of the best stuff I've ever caught'
Yet another way Pagés left his fingerprints on Wednesday’s win was with how he handled right-handed starting pitcher Dustin May, who shook off a slow start to the season and won for the second straight time.
As has so often been the case this season for Cardinals starting pitchers – who came into Wednesday with a 5.82 first-inning ERA – May allowed a run in the opening frame. However, he then breezed through the next five innings with Pagés calling the pitches and keeping the oft-fiery right-hander even-keeled.
May and Pagés mixed six pitches, allowing the starter to scatter six hits over six innings of work. May got just two swings and misses, but he did strike out four batters. Three of the hits allowed were on four-seam fastballs that averaged 97.3 mph, while the Guardians got one knock off each of his cutters, sweepers and sinkers.
Pagés thinks May is headed for a big 2026 because the 6-foot-6 right-hander is fully healthy for the first time in three years and his raw stuff is as impressive as any Cards starter in the past three years, Pagés stressed.
“His stuff is nasty, man,” Pagés said, “His stuff is some of the best stuff I’ve ever caught in all of the years I’ve played, even when I was in the Minors. It’s impressive how good his stuff is, but it’s just a matter of him getting ahead of everyone and then using that stuff.”
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