Cardinals beat Rockies 6-2 on July 22, 2025, with big games from Mikolas & Contreras. Read how a top prospect's rise made this a huge day for St. Louis.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
The St. Louis Cardinals delivered a complete performance in the thin air of Denver on Tuesday, dispatching the Colorado Rockies 6-2. While veterans Miles Mikolas and Willson Contreras provided the firepower for the present-day victory, exciting news from the minor leagues offered a tantalizing glimpse into a bright red future, making it a banner day for the organization on multiple fronts.
Catcher Leonardo Bernal, just 21, is now one of MLB Pipeline's Top 10 catching prospects after hitting .282/.356/.468 with 11 homers in Double-A.
The Cardinals got the job done at Coors Field, improving to 52-49 on the season. The formula was classic Birds on the Bat baseball: strong starting pitching and timely hitting. Miles Mikolas was masterful, navigating 6.2 innings and allowing just two runs while striking out five. The offense was sparked by Willson Contreras, who launched a two-run homer in the third inning to set the tone. Nolan Gorman provided the insurance, lacing a two-run double in the sixth to put the game out of reach. It was a professional, confidence-building win against a struggling Rockies team.
While the big league club was winning, the biggest news of the day may have come from the farm. Catcher Leonardo Bernal, a 21-year-old switch-hitter, officially vaulted into MLB Pipeline's Top 10 list for catching prospects. Currently at Double-A Springfield, Bernal is putting together a monster season, hitting .282 with a .356 on-base percentage, 11 home runs, and 49 RBIs. His rapid development provides the organization with a potential future star at a premium position, a welcome sight for fans tracking the next wave.
Bernal isn't the only one making noise down on the farm. The system is brimming with talent, highlighted by 2024 first-rounder JJ Wetherholt and a stable of promising arms like Quinn Mathews and Tink Hence. The organization's depth was further showcased when 6-foot-8 DSL righty Reiner Lopez was named the club's Minor League Player of the Day. With a clear focus on developing pitching, the Cardinals are cultivating a pipeline that could fuel the major league roster for years to come.
With the MLB trade deadline just days away, the Cardinals' front office remains quiet. No major moves were made Tuesday, and while the team is undoubtedly monitoring the market, no significant rumors have linked them to a blockbuster deal. This could be a sign of confidence in the current group, or it could simply be the quiet before the storm. For now, the roster that beat the Rockies is the roster moving forward.
With a solid win in the books and the farm system buzzing with high-end talent, the Cardinals are in an enviable position. The focus now shifts to the rest of the series in Colorado and the looming trade deadline. Will the front office stand pat, confident in the current roster and the coming wave of prospects, or will they make a move to bolster the club for a deep postseason run? The next week promises to be as exciting as Tuesday's victory.
