Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages was born to play baseball
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Lorenzo Delgado, Contributor
- April 30, 2026
Pedro Pages paid dues before earning starting nod
HOUSTON- Pedro Pages was born into a baseball family. The St. Louis Cardinals’ catcher’s father Edgar Pages played baseball growing up in Venezuela, though he never made it to the pros.
Pedro Pages’ grandfather Jose Maria Pages was the president of the Tigres de Aragua of the Venezuelan Professional Baseball League. Jose Maria Pages made important decisions regarding the team’s roster and coaching staff through his years as the team’s president.
Family helped pave the way for Pedro Pages to chase his dream of becoming a major league ballplayer.
“It was huge for sure,” Pedro Pages said of his family’s baseball influence. “My grandfather was a big role model for me just knowing what he did in baseball. My dad used to play baseball too growing up in Venezuela. He never made it pro, but just knowing how important baseball’s to our family like it played a huge role, and I love playing this sport.”
Pedro Pages’ family moved from Maracay, Venezuela, to Doral, Fla., when he was 4 years old. His catching journey started at 7 years old. He worked with his coach on different catching techniques.
Florida Atlantic stop
The wise Pages learned how to start framing, blocking, and receiving the baseball all the way through high school. All the hard work helped Pages earn a baseball scholarship to Florida Atlantic University. Though, he wasn’t done learning.
“Coming out of high school I wasn’t ready to go play pro ball yet,” Pages said. “I needed to develop my bat better, but my catching was good. Going to college was a big thing for me to go learn my body better, learn how to swing, learn how to work, and just get a routine down.
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“Going to college really helped me a lot. It was a dream of mine to go play college, and I was able to stay close to home, but still be far enough away to have both experiences, so it was a blessing.”
The Cardinals drafted Pages in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB Draft. Quickly, he was assigned to play in the Class A short season with the State College Spikes. In 50 games, Pages batted .291 with 52 hits, 17 doubles, one triple, two home runs and 21 RBIs. He carried a .823 OPS.
Rich catching history
The Redbirds have had a prestigious group of backstops over their years as a franchise like Hall of Famer Ted Simmons, Tim McCarver, Mike Matheny and nine-time Gold Glove winner Yadier Molina.
Pages was invited to spring training as a non-roster invitee in 2021. The 6-foot-1 backstop met Molina when the Cardinals broke into their defensive groups. Pages talked to the two-time World Series champion on various topics.
“The biggest thing with him was just how he went about his business, and how he worked,” Pages said of Molina. “He always tried to outwork everyone. That’s what made him that good. I learned a lot from him, like you can’t stop working. He had nine Gold Gloves, and he’s still out there everyday working, trying to beat us in competitions, and just treating us all the same.”
Pages got the call to the show when he was playing in Indianapolis with Class AAA Memphis. When he received the exciting news, the former Cardinals prospect quickly caught an Uber, and was on his way to Busch Stadium. Pages made his major league debut on April 7, 2024, in a pinch-hit appearance. Unfortunately, he didn’t collect a hit. Four days later he was optioned back to Memphis.
A starting spot
Later in the 2024 season, the Cardinals’ primary catcher Willson Contreras landed on the injured list. Pages was recalled from Memphis. On May 14, 2024, he recorded his first major league hit. Pages was the first Cardinal since the RBI stat became an official stat in 1920 to hit a three-run double for his first MLB hit.
“Pedro’s great back there,” former Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn said of Pages. “Obviously he’s a great catch-and-field guy. Does a lot of time and puts a lot of effort on what he does, and he likes to create a rapport with pitchers. As a young kid he checks all the right boxes.
“Moving forward he’s easy to work with and moving forward I think everything is going to go well for him. Just gotta get a chance to play a little bit more.”
Two years ago, Pages was the backup catcher to Ivan Herrera. Pages continued to be patient and knew his time would come. Eventually it did. Contreras was traded to the Boston Red Sox in the offseason. Herrera is now the designated hitter. Pages is now the Cardinals’ primary catcher.
Lorenzo Delgado
Contributor
Lorenzo Delgado earned his bachelor’s degree from Texas A&M University and his master’s degree from the University of Houston. He is currently the Director of Baseball Content at Our Esquina, where he has spent the past four years. Previously, Delgado was a contributing baseball writer for Call to the Pen on the FanSided Network. He also hosts the Astros-focused podcast Full Seam Ahead, available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms.
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