Back in May, MLB Pipeline's Jonathan Mayo took inventory of the five backstops on the Pirates' Top 30 Prospects list. He tabbed the three lowest ranked of the group as prime candidates to breakout. Well, he's an expert for a reason.
In the recent rankings refresh, Axiel Plaz, Easton Carmichael and Edgleen Perez all made massive jumps up Pittsburgh's list. Plaz vaulted 12 spots up to No. 6, Carmichael moved nine spots to No. 7 and Perez made an 11-spot jump to No. 8 -- completing the trio of consecutively ranked backstops.
In other words, they're all enjoying the best seasons of their careers. Breakouts.
COMPLETE PIRATES PROSPECT COVERAGE
Axiel Plaz, C/1B (PIT No. 6)
Signed out of Venezuela for $350,000 in 2022, Plaz has had a relatively standard rise through Pittsburgh's system. He hit the ground running by slashing .382/.500/.706 across 32 Rookie-level Dominican Summer League games that same year, leading players with at least 80 plate appearances in OPS (1.206), wOBA (.550) and wRC+ (211).
From there, Plaz moved stateside, rising to High-A over his next three seasons but never posting eye-catching stats. He spent this past fall in the desert at baseball's "finishing school," making up for lost time due to injury and producing a .354/.458/.354 slash line over 14 games.
This season -- at High-A Greensboro for his first full campaign after an 11-game cameo in 2025 -- the 20-year-old backstop has started to flash that same offensive potential he displayed as a newly minted signee. Through 73 games (40 behind the dish), Plaz is batting .302 -- third best in the South Atlantic League -- with 10 homers and an .854 OPS.
A major factor toward Plaz's improvement, as Pirates farm director Michael Chernow noted when he spoke with Mayo in May, has been selectivity at the dish. The 5-foot-11, 165-pounder has plenty of raw pop; it's just a matter of identifying pitches he can do damage on. After striking out a stunning 31.3% of the time in 2023 and 28.4% in 2024, Plaz has progressively improved his swing-and-miss and is fanning at a 17.9% rate this year.
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Easton Carmichael, C (PIT No. 7)
After splitting catching duties with Plaz for most of the season, Carmichael was promoted to Double-A on July 24, and he's looked right at home. The 2025 third-rounder has notched knocks in five of his first eight starts, highlighted by a three-hit, two-homer outburst on July 30 that marked his first multihomer performance as a pro.
Known for his offensive tools as a mainstay in the Oklahoma Sooners' lineup, Carmichael dealt with wrist pain after the Draft last summer which led to a dip in production during his abbreviated pro debut. Back healthy this season, he has shown the offensive chops that made him an early pick last July.
In 74 contests prior to his promotion, Carmichael slugged 16 homers while slashing .305/.350/.518. His batting average was second-best at the time of his departure, narrowly trailing his teammate Plaz.
This summer has marked a landmark campaign for catching prospects, and Carmichael is chief among them. He is one of 11 Minor League catchers with 18+ homers, leading that bunch with just 68 strikeouts in 84 games.
The Pirates brass are encouraged by Carmichael's offensive surge, but it's his defensive strides that have really caught their eye. He has improved his blocking and receiving this season and is throwing out 42.1 percent of attempted basestealers.
Edgleen Perez, C/1B (No. 8)
Perez was placed on the injured list on July 30, but was having a productive season before landing on the shelf. Acquired from the Yankees prior to the 2025 Trade Deadline in the package that sent David Bednar to the Bronx, the 20-year-old stands out for his defensive ability -- a trademark trait of backstops in New York's system. He is one of just two players on the Pirates' Top 30 with plus arm and fielding grades and is throwing out runners 31.8 percent of the time.
Offensively, Perez uses his elite understanding of the strike zone to his advantage by producing strong strikeout-to-walk ratios. He has fanned just six more times (37) than he has taken free passes (31) in 2026.
Standing at 5-foot-9, 155 pounds, the Venezuela native doesn't profile as a power bat. This season, he has slashed .296/.385/.352 with two homers in 77 games for Single-A Bradenton. Perez's bat speed was up 5 mph when Mayo spoke with Chernow in the spring, so more pop could be coming, but as of now, the 20-year-old projects to become an elite defender with good bat-to-ball skills when all is said and done.