Scouting Report

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 30 | Arm: 50 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45 

A standout on the international tournament scene out of Panama, Bernal joined the Cardinals for $680,000 in January 2021. They were fairly aggressive with the backstop early in his career with a quick move to stateside Minor League Spring Training in 2022 and an assignment to Single-A Palm Beach soon after. He repeated the Florida State League at age 19 last year and hit .265/.381/.362 with three homers in 78 games. 

Though he didn’t move up a level, there’s still a lot to like about Bernal’s all-around potential behind the plate. He already showed solid plate discipline entering 2023 and then more than doubled his walk rate from 7.0 to 15.2 percent, resulting in a .381 OBP that ranked sixth among 33 Single-A catchers with at least 250 plate appearances. He kept his strikeouts in check too, and while his homer count dropped from seven to three, his top-end exit velocity of 108.9 mph showed there could be average pop in time. Bernal remains a better power hitter from the left side than the right. 

As the youngster picked up more games last season, he trended more toward being an average defensive catcher, but his work ethic continually impresses Cardinals evaluators and he could improve with more advanced reps. He has the athleticism and arm strength to post pop times as low as 1.9 seconds, but his accuracy wavered and held his caught-stealing rate to 22 percent for a second straight season. Bernal’s first two seasons in the FSL were all about building a foundation, and even if he settles in with average skills across the board, that still equates to becoming a potential starting catcher in the bigs. 

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 30 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

The Cardinals brought in Bernal for $680,000 out of Panama in January 2021 after he showed ample international experience as a Little League World Series participant and a U-15 World Cup standout in 2018. He opened in the Dominican Summer League that season, hitting .209/.298/.373 with five homers in 44 games, but the Cardinals saw enough to make him the youngest stateside Minor League Spring Training participant in 2022. Their enthusiasm continued with an aggressive assignment to Single-A Palm Beach, and Bernal responded by hitting .256/.316/.455 with seven homers in 45 contests. His 171 plate appearances at Single-A were the second-most among 18-year-old catchers at the level in 2022.

Bernal has the chance to be a solid all-around backstop, though he needs the power to translate from raw ability to in-game usage. A switch-hitter with a good eye that often comes with being a catcher, the teenager protects the plate fairly well for his age, and he seemed to adjust well to the league as he gained experience, posting a 1.154 OPS while striking out only three times over 47 plate appearances in his third month. The pop he has mostly comes from his left-handed at-bats, but there’s a chance his righty pop could become average in time with more experience against southpaws too.

One of the prime reasons St. Louis pushed Bernal is their appreciation for his work ethic on defense, and he already has the makings of an above-average receiver behind the plate with enough arm strength to keep the running game in check. A breakout could be coming as he gets more comfortable in full-season play.

Scouting grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 45 | Run: 40 | Arm: 55 | Field: 55 | Overall: 45

The Cardinals know a thing or two about signing and developing catchers from Panama, having inked Ivan Herrera in 2016. Five years later, they added Bernal, who already had some international experience as a Little League World Series participant and a standout in the Under-15 World Cup in 2018. The backstop was Panama’s biggest prospect in the 2020-21 international signing class and signed with St. Louis for $680,000 in January 2021. As expected, Bernal opened in the Dominican Summer League where he found his footing with a .209/.298/.373 line and five homers over 44 games. After turning 18 in February, he was the organization’s youngest player in stateside Minor League Spring Training to begin 2022, and the Cards got even more aggressive with him with a move to Single-A Palm Beach in June, skipping right over the Florida Complex League.

A switch-hitter, Bernal did a better job of making contact from the left side last season, but he did slug higher in a smaller sample as a right-hander, meaning he’s able to do damage from either side. Overall, he showed the potential to be an average hitter, capable of hitting double-digit homers as he matures. He looked advanced defensively before even signing with the receiving capabilities of a prospect much older, and his arm strength looks at least above-average.

Given that he’s the same age as an American high-school senior coming into 2022, Bernal has a long road of development ahead of him. His defensive work will get him opportunities as he climbs the ladder toward St. Louis, and if his bat fulfills its potential, he has the pieces to be a possible everyday catcher in the Majors.

Transactions

Team	Date	Transaction
	09/25/2024	C Leonardo Bernal assigned to Glendale Desert Dogs.
	08/27/2024	C Leonardo Bernal assigned to Springfield Cardinals from Peoria Chiefs.
	04/03/2024	C Leonardo Bernal assigned to Peoria Chiefs.
	03/07/2024	St. Louis Cardinals Prospects activated C Leonardo Bernal.
	01/10/2024	St. Louis Cardinals invited non-roster C Leonardo Bernal to spring training.
	09/19/2023	Palm Beach Cardinals activated C Leonardo Bernal from the 7-day injured list.
	09/19/2023	Palm Beach Cardinals activated C Leonardo Bernal from the 7-day injured list.
	08/10/2023	Palm Beach Cardinals placed C Leonardo Bernal on the 7-day injured list.
	08/10/2023	Palm Beach Cardinals placed C Leonardo Bernal on the 7-day injured list.
	06/05/2022	C Leonardo Bernal assigned to Palm Beach Cardinals from DSL Cardinals.
	07/10/2021	C Leonardo Bernal assigned to DSL Cardinals Blue from DSL Cardinals Red.
	07/10/2021	C Leonardo Bernal and assigned to DSL Cardinals Blue.
	01/15/2021	C Leonardo Bernal assigned to DSL Cardinals Red.
	01/15/2021	C Leonardo Bernal assigned to DSL Cardinals Red.
	01/15/2021	St. Louis Cardinals signed free agent C Leonardo Bernal to a minor league contract.