Finally, the St. Louis Cardinals have called up their top prospect, catcher Jimmy Crooks, to their MLB roster alongside infielder Cesar Prieto. Since there were two vacant spots already on the 40-man roster, no corresponding moves were necessary. Though Katie Woo of The Athletic reports outfielder Alec Burleson's placement on the 10-day injured list as a corresponding roster move.
The move comes after Crooks did well in the minors. He batted .274/.337/.441 slash line, with 14 home runs in Triple-A Memphis. Especially in August, he has done extremely well, hitting .337/.404/.518 with three long balls.
Cardinals To Promote Jimmy Crooks https://t.co/tkaArTidOC pic.twitter.com/3FWQU5gsnC
— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) August 29, 2025
Crooks, the reigning Double-A Texas League MVP (2024), ranked among St. Louis’s top catching prospects and was named the Cardinals’ Hitting Prospect of the Year. He boasts a .908 OPS. Meanwhile, another Memphis standout who got his due in the same roster move was Prieto. He can prove to be a utility option for the Cardinals around the infield.
Why Crooks' promotion matter Cardinals?
Jimmy Crooks can be the Cardinals' potential long-term answer behind the plate. He had a splendid season in 2024, where he hit .321 with 11 HR and 62 RBI at Double-A. As a result, he surged in MLB Pipeline ranking from #15 to the top five in the system.
In the latest prospect rankings of the Cardinals, Crooks finds himself at No. 6, behind the likes of JJ Wetherholt, Liam Doyle, Leonardo Bernal, Rainiel Rodriguez and Quinn Mathews.
As Crooks and Prieto report to Cincinnati, fans would monitor how quickly they can settle in and impact the Cardinals’ final month push. With a 68-66 record, the Cardinals are 4.0 games behind the final NL wildcard spot.