Pirates catching pipeline is suddenly giving fans real hope for the future

The Pittsburgh Pirates' offense in 2026 hardly resembles the 2025 debacle in any way, except for one: the offensive ineptitude behind the plate.

Joey Bart has been on a mission to prove that his 2024 campaign was a fluke, and Henry Davis has taken on a larger role with Bart now on the IL. While Davis is a good defensive backstop, his bat is so putrid that the overall value he provides is typically below replacement level. Endy Rodriguez might be the best bet to find some offensive value, but after an injury-plagued last couple of years, he's a wild card at best.

The present behind the plate is pretty bleak, but the future couldn't be brighter. Pittsburgh has a whopping five catchers among its top 30 prospects, more than any other team. The thing is, not all of them are created equal.

The Pirates' stash of young catchers is promising, but the real impact will take time

The Pirates' top-two catching prospects, Rafael Flores Jr. (No. 8) and Omar Alfonzo (No. 14), are the most advanced, with the former working at Triple-A Indianapolis and the latter toiling at Double-A Altoona. The problem is they've both struggled at the upper levels.

Flores Jr. is already 25, has played a decent amount of first base thanks to some defensive questions, and slashed just .216/.319/.353 through his first 38 Triple-A games this season. One of the prizes of the David Bednar trade, he did hit better in Indy when he came over last season, with a .281/.363/.459 line over 36 games. Consistency will be key for him, but at his age, time is running out.

Alfonzo split 2025 between Greensboro and Altoona. The Greensboro portion of the year was great, with the youngster posting a .261/.389/.440 line. The stint he spent in Altoona was the complete opposite, with him hitting .218/.302/.335. This year, the 22-year-old is repeating Double-A, but not finding much more success.

The real firepower among the backstops seems to reside in the lower levels of the minors. Last year's third-round pick, Easton Carmichael, quickly earned rave reviews, setting the scene for the 2025 draft class to be a transformative one for Pittsburgh.

Carmichael is building on that hype, hitting .318/.371/.545 with seven homers and seven steals through his first 32 games at Greensboro. The University of Oklahoma product ranks as the Pirates' No. 16 prospect has the best chance of this next group to become a fast riser.

Next up is Axiel Plaz, a 20-year-old from Venezuela who is sharing time with Carmichael in Greensboro and has put together quite the fireworks display. The Pirates' No. 19 prospect hit .352/.412/.607 over his first 31 games while splitting time between catcher and first base.

Finally, there's No. 20 prospect Edgleen Perez, another key piece of the Bednar deal. Perez is the youngest of the group, turning 20 on May 25. Last season was an odd year for Perez, who walked as often as he struck out, but posted a .204/.368/.232 line between the Yankees and the Pirates organizations. Now getting his second shot in A-Ball, he's become a bit more aggressive while still retaining a decent walk rate, and is now hitting a much more productive .321/.395/.375.

Future options abound for the Pirates, which is a good thing, but with the higher-level guys stalling out against advanced competition, it might be a little while until the next cohort can rise up and challenge Bart and the other incumbents.

However, Carmichael does have a shot at a rapid rise through the system, and Plaz and Perez are tearing up the lower levels. The best-case scenario is that either Flores Jr. or Alfonzo figures things out and can put some pressure on the big league contingent quickly, but the likely scenario is that one of these younger catchers ends up being the prize. Regardless, talented depth is a nice thing to have, and the Pirates have it in spades.

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