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Leonardo Bernal wins 2025 Minor League Gold Glove

Springfield catcher becomes second-ever defender in franchise history to be honored with Gold Glove.
(PJ Maigi)
By Springfield Cardinals PR
November 3, 2025

SPRINGFIELD, MO (November 3, 2025) - Sunday night on ESPN, Rawlings, Minor League and Major League Baseball announced that Springfield Cardinals catcher and 2025 Texas League Champion Leonardo Bernal was awarded a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess during this past season. He becomes just the second player in Springfield

SPRINGFIELD, MO (November 3, 2025) - Sunday night on ESPN, Rawlings, Minor League and Major League Baseball announced that Springfield Cardinals catcher and 2025 Texas League Champion Leonardo Bernal was awarded a Gold Glove for his defensive prowess during this past season. He becomes just the second player in Springfield Cardinals history to win a Minor League Rawlings Gold Glove award, joining outfielder Victory Scott II from the 2023 team.

Only nine total Gold Gloves are awarded each season, one for each defensive position, beginning in 2011. The award considers all 120 full-season rosters when deciding the honorees. Bernal, along with the other eight recipients, will receive his own Rawlings Gold Glove Award, modeled after the iconic award given to Major League Baseball’s top defensive players, during the 2026 season.

Bernal handled 890 total chances and recorded 839 putouts with 41 assists in 87 games behind the plate this year, his first full season in Double-A. In 747.1 innings as the Springfield backstop, he threw out 27 of 69 would-be base stealers (39.1% caught stealing rate) while posting a .989 fielding percentage.

The 21-year-old Panamanian catcher was called up from High-A Peoria late in 2024 to back up 2024 Texas League MVP Jimmy Crooks behind the plate. After seeing 14 games of action to test the waters during that season, Bernal became the primary catcher for Springfield in 2025. With Bernal behind the plate, Springfield pitchers held a 3.34 ERA. His play in 2025 became crucial as Springfield finished a storybook season with a Texas League Championship, the first title for the club since 2012 and their second all-time. Bernal was signed as an international free agent in January of 2021 and is currently ranked as the fourth-best prospect in the St. Louis organization, according to MLB Pipeline.