Breaking down Pirates' catching depth chart across all levels entering 2025

The Pirates enter spring training with an interesting group of catchers throughout their organization. The guys likely to be in Pittsburgh appear to be very solid, while there are multiple wild cards to make an impact later in the year lurking below.

There are also some catchers among the team's top 30 prospects playing in the lower levels to watch out for this year. Let's examine what the Pirates organization's catching depth chart will look like approaching the 2025 season.

This is what each level in the Pirates organization might look like behind the plate in 2025.

Pittsburgh: Joey Bart and Endy Rodriguez

Joey Bart is the cemented starter after a great year at the plate. His wRC+ reached 121, coming from an OPS of .799 and 13 home runs. Bart's glove behind the plate was below average, and his arm was about average, as he threw out 15 runners.

Backing him up is more of a defensive guy in Endy Rodriguez, who is fresh off elbow surgery. In 2023, his wRC+ was quite poor at 65, yet his defense was good enough to put him at an 0.6 fWAR in a small sample. His pop time of 1.90 was ranked in the 86th percentile and his fielding run value reached +3.

Indianapolis: Henry Davis, Jason Delay, and Carter Bins

Henry Davis is coming off a very poor showing in 2024, yet he was outstanding in Triple-A. He is likely the first guy up to Pittsburgh if an injury occurs. With Indianapolis, Davis put up a 148 wRC+ with a .956 OPS. His pop time is outstanding at 1.87, which ranked in the 94th percentile in 2024 in the big leagues.

Similar to Rodriguez, Jason Delay is valued most as a defensive catcher. He dealt with injuries in 2024, but has played in Pittsburgh the most out of any other catcher in the organization. His framing is excellent, ranking in the 75th percentile in 2023, the season he was the personal catcher for Mitch Keller. His wRC+ in Triple-A last year was 93 with an OPS of .717.

Lastly is Carter Bins, a former top-30 prospect who has steadily declined since being acquired for Tyler Anderson in 2021. His bat was not horrible in 2024, as he posted a 96 wRC+, but he struck out at a 36.4% rate. He did also throw out 16 runners behind the plate. Bins looks to make his MLB debut this year, but it'll be tough for him, given this deep group.

Altoona: Aaron McKeithan and Geovanny Planchart

The Pirates brought in former Cardinals minor-leaguer Aaron McKeithan as a non-roster invitee to spring training. He plays the game in a more old fashion way, as a low-strikeout (15.7%) contact hitter (.264 average). His wRC+ of 100 makes him a respectable player to watch out for in Altoona.

Geovanny Planchart has been in the Pirates organization for many years now and is coming off a decent season. His wRC+ of 103 was not bad last season, and he walked at a very impressive rate of 16%. He threw out 27 runners in 2023, which is something to note about his arm for 2025.

Greensboro: Omar Alfonzo and Shawn Ross

Omar Alfonzo is the Pirates' 24th-ranked prospect and is one of the better offensive players in the Pirates' farm system. Last season across two levels, Alfonzo put together a 120 wRC+ with an OPS of .760 and 13 home runs. MLB Pipeline also grades his glove at a 50 on the 20-80 scouting scale.

Shawn Ross is a bit older for High-A and brings a solid bat to the team. Last season, Ross put together a wRC+ of 125 while belting 23 home runs, but batted .193 and struck out 35.2% of the time. This is looking like his third consecutive season in Greensboro.

Bradenton: Axiel Plaz, Derek Berg, and Richard Ramirez

Axiel Plaz has a lot of raw power at age 19, which puts him as the Pirates' current 30th-ranked prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. In Bradenton, Plaz belted 15 home runs to power his way to an OPS of .741 and a wRC+ of 108. He has a lot of potential, but he is a long way away from the big leagues.

In the last draft, the Pirates selected Derek Berg in the 10th round from Army. He put together excellent numbers in his four years of college, including a 1.009 OPS in his senior season. He did not do well in his lone month of professional baseball, but is guy to pay attention to in 2025.

Richard Ramirez did not reach Bradenton last season and is looking to make his debut there in 2025. He had an excellent showing in rookie ball, posting a wRC+ of 127 with an OPS of .838 at the lower level. He is another 19-year-old catcher that has a lot of upside.