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Pittsburgh Pirates Prospects: Top 5 Catchers in the Farm System

By Kody Duncan

Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 18: Catcher Henry Davis, who was selected first overall in the 2021 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates takes batting practice on the field after signing a contract with the Pirates at PNC Park on July 18, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 18: Catcher Henry Davis, who was selected first overall in the 2021 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates takes batting practice on the field after signing a contract with the Pirates at PNC Park on July 18, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Number 2 – Endy Rodriguez

I have talked about Endy Rodriguez before, but he deserves to be on this top 5 list for many reasons. Traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates on January 19th of this year from the New York Mets, Rodriguez has been nothing short of impressive for the Pirates.

He was originally assigned to the FCL, but was reassigned to Low-A Bradenton on May 1st 2021. The switch-hitting catcher has put on great numbers with the Marauders. In 98 games, Rodriguez had 111 hits in 377 at bats. He slashed .294/.380/.512 with an OPS of .892.

Not only can he get on base, but he also showed a lot of power. He hit 15 homeruns, 25 doubles, and 6 triples in 2021. According to MLB Pipeline, Rodriguez is the 19th best prospect in the Pirates farm system. Time will tell if the Pirates keep him as a catcher, but as of right now he lands at  number 2 on my list.

Number 1 – Henry Davis

Henry Davis comes in as the number 1 catcher on my list for good reason. Davis was the 1st overall pick in the 2021 draft and rightfully so. At the University of Louisville in 3 seasons, Davis slashed a .337/.435/.565 and an OPS of 1.001. However, he really stood out in his final season with Louisville. In 2021, he batted .370 with 15 homeruns in 50 games. He had 31 walks as well and only struck out 24 times in 228 plate appearances.

On July 18th 2021, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Henry Davis with signing bonus of $6.5 million. Davis went under slot by just over $1.9million. On August 3rd, he was assigned to the FCL Pirates Black and only lasted 9 days before getting called up to High A Greensboro.

So far Davis has not disappointed as a pro. In just 26 at bats, he has 8 hits in which 3 of them left the yard. Unfortunately for the Pirates and fans, Davis was placed on the 7-day injured list on August 24th and has not played since. He finished the year slashing .308/.387/.808 and had an OPS of 1.195.

Next. Triple-A Roster Should be Strong in 2022. dark

I know that is just a small sample size, but it is a good sign for the future. According to MLB Pipeline, Davis is the #1 prospect in the Pirates System and 23rd in all of baseball. Fangraphs most recently changed his Future Value to 55 as well. To give you better context, a FV 55 is considered an above average regular starter in the MLB. Hopefully Davis finds his way to Altoona and maybe even Indy by 2022. I cannot wait to see how he plays next year.

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