Trio of young Bucs catching prospects forcing its way onto the radar

There’s the well-worn adage that you can never have enough pitching. But you also need enough talent to catch those arms, and developing big league-caliber backstops can be challenging. The Pirates are doing everything they can to build depth at the most demanding position on the diamond, hoping quantity turns into Major League quality.

The Pirates have five catchers on their current Top 30 prospects list, more than any other organization in baseball. And if that list were to be reranked today, the backstops’ order would change considerably, thanks to big steps forward by the trio on the back half of the list. Rafael Flores Jr. and Omar Alfonzo are at the upper levels, but it’s the guys in A ball who are really jumping off the page.

No. 16 prospect Easton Carmichael served early notice that he was ready to make some noise in his first full season of pro ball, when he homered in the Spring Breakout game in March. He hasn’t stopped since, posting a .318/.371/.545 line over his first 32 games at High-A Greensboro this season. And before you think that’s a hitter-friendly Greensboro mirage, Pittsburgh's third-round pick from last year’s MLB Draft actually has a higher OPS on the road (.949) than at home (.871). The way he’s swung the bat hasn’t been that surprising to the Pirates, who were confident the Oklahoma product would hit, but it’s the work he’s done behind the dish that’s really got them jazzed.

“The most impressive thing for us is how much growth we’ve shown defensively,” Pirates farm director Michael Chernow said of Carmichael’s work, which includes a 35 percent caught-stealing rate. “We expected the offense; he makes a ton of contact and hates striking out. The work he’s put in blocking, receiving and especially the throwing has been really impressive. He’s an above-average defender now, and then you see what the bat is doing, and he could move up the system pretty quickly."

Carmichael isn’t alone, even on his own team. He shares catching duties at Greensboro with No. 19 prospect Axiel Plaz, off to a .348/.406/.583 start to his season. Like Carmichael, he’s hitting on the road (1.009 OPS), too, while posting a 1.031 OPS at home. He’s always hit the ball hard and thrown the ball well, but the encouraging signs are coming in terms of his selectivity at the plate and his overall glove work behind it.

“He is continuing to mature in his approach,” Chernow said. “We saw more of a well-rounded hitter in 2025. This year, the swing-and-miss is down, [and] the top-end exit velocities are up. The big thing is really understanding his approach, being a little bit more selective. That's what he’s being challenged with. It’s good to work from a foundation of knowing that when he swings, he’s hitting the ball hard.

“And he’s continuing to work on the defense. That’s improved, and the arm is special, but there’s work to be done on the receiving part.”

Down one level, with Single-A Bradenton, is No. 20 prospect Edgleen Perez, acquired from the Yankees -- along with Flores -- in the David Bednar deal at last year’s Trade Deadline. The Pirates knew Perez's defense was his calling card when they got him, and he hasn’t disappointed on that front. And they knew he had a good approach at the plate, with outstanding swing decisions, walking as much as he struck out, albeit without production to show for it. He’s taken a huge leap forward in that regard this season, hitting .321 with a .395 OBP as the Pirates have had him embrace his feel for contact over selling out for power, all while showing he knows how to handle young pitchers.

“The defense is fantastic; the way he leads the staff is impressive,” Chernow said. “He is a leader on that club. The young arms have all trended up the last few weeks because of his energy and leadership behind the plate.

“Offensively, we want him to impact the baseball, but want him to take advantage of his good hand-eye, lean into that and trust that as he matures, there will be more bat speed and impact will follow. His bat speed is already up five miles per hour from last year, and he’s gone from 36th percentile to 60th in EVs. This offensive explosion is really eye-opening.”