The Memphis Redbirds will play for the International League championship later this month, a three-game series at AutoZone Park (September 22-24). This will be the first postseason for Redbirds manager Ben Johnson, who took the job in 2019, a year after the franchise’s last title as members of the Pacific Coast League. We asked the skipper for his take on a few of the players who helped Memphis win the league’s first-half championship.
Leo Bernal (catcher) — A switch-hitter, Bernal is among the St. Louis Cardinals’ top 10 prospects. He’s batted .278 with 16 home runs and 77 RBIs through Sunday. “Leo has grown in so many ways,” says Johnson. “Not just on the field, but off the field. He’s taken a leadership role with the pitching staff and the other catchers. He spends time before every series studying the opposition, studying the hitters. He leads meetings in English, which isn’t his first language. Leo shares a lot of the smarts of [Hall of Famer] Ted Simmons. There’s depth to his thought process. When I think of championship-caliber players, I think of players [like Bernal].”
Quinn Mathews (pitcher) — Minor league baseball’s Pitcher of the Year in 2024, Mathews has been the Memphis ace in 2026, posting a 3.27 ERA with 120 strikeouts in 99 innings. “We challenged Quinn to be a leader not just through his actions, but also to start pulling guys along with him,” says Johnson. “He’s done an outstanding job. The growth in his emotional regulation from last year to this year has been leaps and bounds. There were times last year when Quinn would have a rough outing, and it would affect his energy, how he carried himself in the dugout. Now, if he has a bad day, he understands his job is still to help his team win. He’s able to process information, and get back to pulling for his team. I’ve started pointing to him for his younger teammates: This is how you go about it.”
Joshua Baez (outfielder) — On June 16th at AutoZone Park, Baez became the first Redbird to homer four times in a game. He’s also the first player in franchise history to hit more than 20 home runs (34) and steal more than 20 bases (21) in the same season. On August 15th at Wrigley Field in Chicago, in his debut with the Cardinals, Baez homered in his first three big-league at-bats, an achievement unmatched in baseball history.
“He’s another great leader,” says Johnson, “and he does it through his actions. Incredibly hard-working. I’ve never seen a group happier when a teammate went up [to the big leagues]. He hasn’t had the easiest road, but he’s worked so hard, willed himself to a dream. He’s got tools, but he’s persevered. He doesn’t let anything bother him. He’s wired for action and wants to be in those big moments.”
Blaze Jordan (third baseman) — A graduate of DeSoto Central High School, Jordan hit .313 with 11 homers in 57 games for Memphis before being promoted to take over the hot corner in St. Louis. “We challenged him to be a better defender,” says Johnson. “He played his ass off at third. For him to keep his focus in Memphis, because he grew up here … there’s a lot of noise that can come along [with that]. He never let it faze him.”
Entering Tuesday’s game at AutoZone Park, Johnson was one victory shy of 500 for his Redbirds career. No other skipper has won as many as 400 with the franchise. He’ll need just two in late September for the club’s fifth championship.
