Leonardo Bernal Stats & Scouting Report

AB	396
AVG	.247
OBP	.332
SLG	.394
HR	13

Full name Leonardo Abdiel Bernal
Born 02/13/2004 in Panama City, Panama
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 200 / Bats: S / Throws: R

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Average

Adjusted Grade: 40

Track Record: Bernal signed out of Panama in 2021 for $680,000. After debuting in the Dominican Summer League, he jumped stateside to begin 2022, skipping the Florida Complex League entirely. After spending all of 2022 and 2023 with Low-A Palm Beach, Bernal made the jump to High-A in 2024. He spent all of 2025 with Double-A Springfield and hit .247/.332/.395 in 107 games, making 87 starts behind the plate.

Scouting Report: Bernal is a switch-hitting catcher with a maxed-out physical frame and a stout build. His righthanded swing is far more advanced than his lefthanded one. Bernal’s approach from the lefthanded side is better—he makes more contact and chases less. However, his righthanded swing generates more power and better angles on contact, leading to better results. Overall he shows average plate skills and average power when balancing his two swings. Bernal does a good job of avoiding whiffs and tends to stay inside of his approach. Adding impact when hitting lefthanded would truly boost his hitting profile to above-average. Bernal is a bigger-bodied catcher and has limited mobility. His blocking suffers due to a lack of athleticism behind the plate. He’ll need to control blocked balls better to be an average or better defender. Bernal’s arm is plus, and he consistently clocks sub-1.95 pop times on throws to second base. As an above-average framer and plus throwing catcher, Bernal is a sure bet to stick behind the plate, even if his blocking remains subpar.

The Future: Bernal looks like a rotation catcher who will see most of his starts against lefthanded pitchers. Improvements to his lefthanded swing and blocking ability could push him into everyday catcher territory.

Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Field: 45 | Arm: 60.
BA Grade/Risk: 45/High.

Track Record: Bernal signed for $680,000 out of Panama in January of 2021 and debuted in the Dominican Summer League later that year before jumping stateside in 2022. Bernal skipped the domestic complex leagues entirely and went directly to Low-A Palm Beach, where he spent two seasons before making the jump to High-A in 2024. Bernal played 96 games for High-A Peoria in 2024 and earned a promotion to Double-A Springfield late in the season. Bernal participated in the 2024 Arizona Fall League with Glendale.

Scouting Report: Bernal is switch-hitting catcher with above-average defensive abilities and a strong arm that keeps runners honest behind the plate. As a switch-hitter, Bernal has modest power from each side. His bat-to-ball skills and plate discipline are both average and provide some confidence that Bernal will hit. While he does show a little bit of chase, it’s not a restraint, and he’s very aggressive attacking strikes. Bernal shows average game power with the ability to hit 20 home runs in his peak seasons. His exit velocity data is above-average with a 104 mph 90th percentile EV and a 110.1 mph max EV. Bernal is an above-average defender behind the plate who’s particularly strong in the catch-and-throw side of the game. He’s only an average framer but has made strides in that regard since signing. His above-average arm helped him catch runners at a rate of 35% at Peoria in 2024.

The Future: Bernal has a chance to develop into a switch-hitting, everyday catcher and should be part of the Cardinals’ platoon by 2026.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Field: 55 | Arm: 55.
BA Grade: 50/Extreme

Track Record: Signed out of Panama in January 2021 for $680,000, Bernal has established himself as one of the top young players in the Cardinals’ system over his first three seasons. After debuting in the Dominican Summer League in 2021, Bernal skipped the Florida Complex League and made his U.S. debut with Low-A Palm Beach in 2022. He returned to Palm Beach in 2023, playing 78 games before hitting the injured list on Aug. 10.

Scouting Report: A switch-hitting catcher with a mature physical frame, Bernal showed a noticeable improvement in plate skills this season. After whiffing and chasing at high rates in 2022, he made adjustments to his setup to make more contact and chase less this season. The changes worked and Bernal improved his contact rate, in-zone miss rate and cut down on his chase swings. Bernal has always possessed plus raw power dating back to his days as an amateur but has yet to fully actualize his game power due to flatter angles on contact. His power hitting took a step back in 2023 and his isolated slugging dropped more than a hundred points year over year. This was in large part due to a drop in launch angles on his balls in play over 95 mph and a drop in pull-side launch. Behind the plate, Bernal struggled at times with his blocking and didn’t show the same plus arm he showed in 2022. Much of this looks to be a product of Bernal’s body backing up and a subsequent drop in athleticism. He is a young switch-hitting catcher with improving contact and approach, but he faces questions around his in-game power and catching ability.

The Future: Bernal’s overall skills project him as a backup big league catcher with the upside to blossom into an average everyday catcher.

Scouting Grades Hit: 50 | Power: 50 | Run: 30 | Field: 45 | Arm: 50
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: The Cardinals signed Bernal out of Panama for $680,000 during the 2020-2021 international signing period, the second time in recent years they've signed a top amateur catcher from Panama after Ivan Herrera. Bernal struggled to hit for average but showed power in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League and jumped stateside for the 2022 season. He began the year in extended spring training but rose to Low-A Palm Beach in June, where he hit .256/.316/.455 as the youngest hitter to receive 100 or more at-bats in the Florida State League in 2022.

Scouting Report: Bernal is a switch-hitting catcher with projectable abilities on both sides of the ball. He's an average contact hitter with a solid approach, although he can be a little passive batting righthanded. His main offensive calling card is his power. He already shows above-average power as a teenager and showcased it when he hit a ball 423 feet at 110 mph for a pull-side home run in late August. Bernal makes his best contact at his steepest launch angles and projects to keep hitting for power long-term. Behind the plate, Bernal showcases advanced receiving skills and plus arm strength. He is comfortable in the crouch and has the athleticism to move fluidly behind the plate.

The Future: Bernal is a long way off, but has the traits of a potential everyday catcher who contributes on both sides of the ball. He may see High-A as a 19-year-old in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 55. Run: 30. Field: 55. Arm: 60.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: The Cardinals signed Bernal out of Panama for $680,000 during the 2020-2021 international signing period, the second time in recent years they've signed a top amateur catcher from Panama after Ivan Herrera. Bernal struggled to hit for average but showed power in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League and jumped stateside for the 2022 season. He began the year in extended spring training but rose to Low-A Palm Beach in June, where he hit .256/.316/.455 as the youngest hitter to receive 100 or more at-bats in the Florida State League in 2022.

Scouting Report: Bernal is a switch-hitting catcher with projectable abilities on both sides of the ball. He's an average contact hitter with a solid approach, although he can be a little passive batting righthanded. His main offensive calling card is his power. He already shows above-average power as a teenager and showcased it when he hit a ball 423 feet at 110 mph for a pull-side home run in late August. Bernal makes his best contact at his steepest launch angles and projects to keep hitting for power long-term. Behind the plate, Bernal showcases advanced receiving skills and plus arm strength. He is comfortable in the crouch and has the athleticism to move fluidly behind the plate.

The Future: Bernal is a long way off, but has the traits of a potential everyday catcher who contributes on both sides of the ball. He may see High-A as a 19-year-old in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 55. Run: 30. Field: 55. Arm: 60.
BA Grade/Risk: 50/Extreme

Track Record: The Cardinals signed Bernal out of Panama for $680,000 during the 2020-2021 international signing period, the second time in recent years they've signed a top amateur catcher from Panama after Ivan Herrera. Bernal struggled to hit for average but showed power in his pro debut in the Dominican Summer League and jumped stateside for the 2022 season. He began the year in extended spring training but rose to Low-A Palm Beach in June, where he hit .256/.316/.455 as the youngest hitter to receive 100 or more at-bats in the Florida State League in 2022.

Scouting Report: Bernal is a switch-hitting catcher with projectable abilities on both sides of the ball. He's an average contact hitter with a solid approach, although he can be a little passive batting righthanded. His main offensive calling card is his power. He already shows above-average power as a teenager and showcased it when he hit a ball 423 feet at 110 mph for a pull-side home run in late August. Bernal makes his best contact at his steepest launch angles and projects to keep hitting for power long-term. Behind the plate, Bernal showcases advanced receiving skills and plus arm strength. He is comfortable in the crouch and has the athleticism to move fluidly behind the plate.

The Future: Bernal is a long way off, but has the traits of a potential everyday catcher who contributes on both sides of the ball. He may see High-A as a 19-year-old in 2023.

Scouting Grades: Hit: 50. Power: 55. Run: 30. Field: 55. Arm: 60.
BA Grade: 45/Extreme

Track Record: One of the Cardinals top signings during the 2020-21 international signing period. Bernal was the top player in Panama and drew Wilson Ramos comparisons at the time of signing.

Scouting Report: Bernal debuted in the Dominican Summer League in 2021 and showed bat-to-ball skills and projectable power as well as advanced catching skills. He skipped the Florida Complex League and instead was assigned to Low-A Palm Beach where he&#39s shown an increase in swing and miss and some aggressive swing decisions. He&#39s also shown some power in games but his approach has often limited his impact. He&#39s a strong receiver who moves well behind the plate, and should have little trouble sticking at the position.

The Future: A talented all-around catcher tasked with a difficult assignment out of extended spring training. How Bernal adjusts over the coming months will paint a clearer picture of what he needs to work on in the coming years.