ALTOONA, Pa. -- Easton Carmichael wanted to go home. It was the summer of 2024, and after playing 61 games for Oklahoma in the spring, he was tired and struggling in the Cape Cod Baseball League.
Carmichael told his dad, head coach Skip Johnson and his agent he was out of gas. They all insisted he stay and battle through the tough times to prepare for the professional level.
“I'm gonna be honest, I was so mad,” Carmichael said Wednesday evening in the Altoona Curve (Pittsburgh’s Double-A affiliate) home dugout. “But looking back, it was the best decision I ever made.”
Carmichael’s decision seems to be paying dividends two years later in his first full professional season. After the Pirates selected him in the third round of the 2025 Draft, he’s soared through the system and moved from Pittsburgh’s No. 19 prospect to No. 8, per MLB Pipeline.
Growing up as the son of former Oklahoma catcher and college coach Darby, Carmichael has always been ahead of the curve mentally in the game. Former Prosper High School (Texas) coach Scott Holder said Carmichael went about his business differently than most prep players, going about his routines with more consistency.
When he reached the SEC, Johnson entrusted Carmichael to jump into the fire right away. He played 51 games and even called pitches at times, especially when his older brother, Braden, was pitching. Fast forward to his first full professional season, and Carmichael takes pride in his work behind the plate. He explained that he encourages pitchers to pitch to their strengths as the top key.
“That's why I catch: to play the little chess game,” Carmichael said. “Calling pitches, moving defense around, things along that line.”
In 97 games across High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona this year, Carmichael has a .838 OPS with 19 home runs and 82 RBIs, including three Wednesday night. The adjustment to Double-A has been a challenge, but Carmichael is taking it in stride.
“It's still the same game,” Carmichael said. “Understanding that there's nothing I've never seen before. … Guys make a little bit better pitches a little more consistently, and that's really about it. Still get 27 outs, and the quicker that I realize that is the quicker I'm gonna have success.”
Johnson, who recently led the Sooners to a national title in 2026, remembers breaking down the usage of the Cape simply to Carmichael. If Carmichael wanted to one day play 130-plus games in the pros, Johnson told him he must figure out the grind. Carmichael did just that, winning the All-Star Game MVP for the prestigious summer baseball league, and upping his Draft stock.
Carmichael’s move from Greensboro to Altoona was a whirlwind after being called up on July 24. The Grasshoppers were facing Winston-Salem on the road, and he returned to Greensboro after a doubleheader. He packed up his locker that night and packed the rest of his things at home after 4 a.m. Carmichael then caught a flight at 8:30 a.m. from Greensboro to Charlotte, then Charlotte to Akron, where the Curve took on the RubberDucks (Cleveland) that night.
Carmichael is now settling into his new level, finding better consistency in his sleep habits and recovery as he moves closer to the Majors. The Pirates have a plethora of Minor League catchers, with four in their Top 30, per MLB Pipeline.
Carmichael enjoys the challenge of competing among a group of young catchers. Though as he finishes his first full season, Carmichael is “staying in his own bubble” to create the best version of himself.
“If they're better, then that's going to push you to be better,” Carmichael said. “It's kind of a ‘you get what you give kind of thing,’ and that's how I always take it. But ultimately I can only control what I do, and I just try to be the best I can.”