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5 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects to watch at the Florida Complex League
By Noah Wright
Axiel Plaz
Currently, the best catcher in the Pirates' system is arguably Axiel Plaz. The Pirates signed Plaz in the 2021-2022 off-season and he made a massive splash on the scene in his first look against professional pitching, batting .382/.500/.706 with a .550 wOBA, and 202 wRC+ through 86 plate appearances. Plaz had three home runs and 11 doubles. He also walked (13) nearly as many times as he went down on strikes (16).
His encore wasn't nearly as good, however. After getting moved to the FCL, Plaz turned in a .144/.359/.237 triple-slash, .332 wOBA, and 81 wRC+ in 132 plate appearances. The backstop only collected a singular home run and struck out 41 times. The only positive takeaway is that he drew walks at a more frequent pace, upping his BB% to 16 percent. Plaz has appeared in two FCL games and is 1-6. He has a walk, but at least he hasn't struck out yet.
Plaz's defense is considered his strong suit. He has thrown out 29 percent of the runners that have tried to steal on him. He's also displayed above-average receiving skills, according to Baseball America. Plaz also has the potential to be an above-average power hitter. His eye at the plate is advanced for someone his age as well. While he sees the ball well, he will need to cut down on the swings and misses.