This Pirates' catching group will be the team's biggest overall strength in 2025

During Derek Shelton's managerial tenure, the Pittsburgh Pirates have not had a particularly productive catching group outside of Gold Glove winner Jacob Stallings from 2020-21. Jason Delay, Tyler Heineman and Austin Hedges filled the void until Endy Rodriguez got promoted.

In 2024, things dramatically changed with the acquisition of Joey Bart, as he was one of the best hitters in the Pirates lineup. Yasmani Grandal performed very well in the second half, but his time with the team was expected to be temporary while Rodriguez recovered from Tommy John surgery.

With Bart and Rodriguez back with the Pirates in 2025 and fully healthy, Pittsburgh appears to have their best catching group in years. The catching group as a whole looks a lot better than the overall infield and outfield heading into next season.

The Pirates 2025 catching tandem of Joey Bart and Endy Rodriguez marks the best in years

Bart was acquired from the San Francisco Giants in April, shortly after opening day. Although he battled a few injuries, he put together a very impressive 2024 season with the Pirates, emerging as one of the teams' best hitters.

In 2024, Bart belted 13 home runs and 11 doubles to translate into a .462 slugging percentage. Along with a .337 on-base percentage, it made for a solid .799 OPS. He also had a 121 wRC+ and drove in 45 runs.

His defense behind the plate was below average, accounting for negative four defensive runs saved and negative five fielding run value. Bart threw out 15 runners as well.

Rodriguez will likely be the backup behind Bart in 2025 as he continues to recover from surgery. He was able to get at-bats and play the field in the minor leagues at the end of the 2024 season.

A more defensively gifted catcher than Bart, Rodriguez struggled in his rookie season at the plate. In 2023, Rodriguez had a batting average of .220 with three home runs and 13 RBI. He also had an OPS of .612 and a wRC+ of 65.

Rodriguez was much better behind the plate, posting three defensive runs saved and a fielding run value of two. On top of that, he threw out nine out of 30 runners.

Overall, this position appears to be the biggest strength of the Pirates heading into the offseason. With all the question marks lingering all over the field, Pittsburgh has two catchers they can count on in 2025 in Joey Bart and Endy Rodriguez.

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