Pirates' third-round MLB Draft selection might mean end of the road for Joey Bart

Following a pair of pitchers, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ third-round pick in the 2025 MLB Draft was a catcher, Easton Carmichael. Carmichael did very well in his college career, and was a top 100 draft prospect according to both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America. Given Carmichael’s talent, we may see him replace one of the Pirates’ in-house catchers sooner rather than later.

Carmichael’s final season at the University of Oklahoma saw him slash .329/.398/.613. While Carmichael only had a 9.1% walk rate, he struck out just 17.4% of the time. The backstop went yard 17 times with an isolated slugging percentage of .284. However, he’s also displayed some baserunning ability you typically don’t see from a catcher. He swiped a dozen bases in 2024 and 14 more in 2025. However, he also got caught a total of 11 times.

Another positive is that Carmichael excelled in the Cape Cod League. He stepped to the plate 146 times while hitting .299/.372/.496. He went a perfect six-for-six in stolen base attempts while hitting the ball out of the park five times. He still drew walks at a below-average 8.9% rate, but continued to carry a sub-20% K% in the wood bat league at 17.8%.

Did Pirates find a reason to move on from Joey Bart in 2025 MLB Draft?

Carmichael’s long-term position is still undefined. While he has only played two games at first base in his college career, he split his time between catcher and first while in the Cape. His arm will play behind the dish, but he has struggled to keep the running game in check and struggles with blocking. However, his athleticism could lead to him seeing time at first base or left field as long-term homes.

However, Carmichael is a bat-first catcher with good traits, and that could help him move up the minor leagues at a faster-than-average rate. Carmichael could eventually become a replacement for Joey Bart. Bart looked like he was on the verge of a full-season breakout after a promising 2024 season. However, he has just a .627 OPS, .290 wOBA, and 82 wRC+ heading into the All-Star break. He is still reaching base at a solid .333 clip, but that’s about it when it comes to his hitting. The biggest concern has been his massive drop in power.

Drafting Carmichael could mean that Bart’s expiration date has already been set. The Pirates will likely give Bart another chance, given his strong performance in 2024. But if he gets off to a slow start in 2026, and Carmichael starts showing some of his potential, he could replace the former second overall pick sooner rather than later.