Pirates catcher who made perfect game history joins Blue Jays in search of debut

In Major League history, just one player – Ron Hassey – has caught two perfect games. It took Hassey 10 years to achieve the feat. Former Pirates farmhand Geovanny Planchart accomplished it, albeit at the Minor League level, in less than 10 days. Now, Planchart is chasing a bigger goal with the Toronto Blue Jays.

Planchart made headlines when he caught High-A Greensboro’s pair of perfect games in July 2025. The catcher and first baseman, though, wasn’t able to make significant progress through the Pirates’ system despite his strong fielding skills. Even a successful stint in the Arizona Fall League last offseason couldn’t push him past High-A. As a result, Planchart, 24, elected free agency and has signed a Minor League deal with the Blue Jays.

Former Pirates prospect Geovanny Planchart, who caught two perfect games, will try to break through with the Blue Jays.

The road to the Majors will be no easier in Toronto than it was in Pittsburgh. All-Star Alejandro Kirk is locked in through 2030, and backup Tyler Heineman had a breakout season in 2025. Once Heineman ages out of baseball (he’ll turn 35 this season), the Blue Jays have a pair of enticing prospects above Planchart in the system. Brandon Valenzuela, who was added to the 40-man roster this offseason, is a switch-hitting backstop that could turn into a useful backup for Kirk, and Edward Duran, a glove-first catcher at High-A, is getting reps in the AFL and is ranked the 13th-best prospect in the Blue Jays’ system by MLB.com.

Still, you can never have enough catching depth, as the Pirates know well. Planchart will likely start the year at High-A once again, but perhaps the change of scenery from Greensboro to Vancouver and the guidance of new coaches will help him develop his game. He has shown patience at the plate – his career on-base percentage is .352 – but the quality of his contact is poor.

Planchart will also need to get more playing time, which could be hard if Duran also starts in Vancouver. Planchart has played more than 60 games in a season just once in his career. The Blue Jays may rectify this by shifting him to first base where the depth chart is thinner. If these accommodations don’t help Planchart progress, he can still lay claim to one of the most unique accomplishments in professional baseball.