Easton Carmichael hit 20 homers and produced an .825 OPS across two levels in 2026. His 127 hits ranked fourth among qualified Minor League catchers. His 92 RBIs were third among that group and throughout the Pirates’ system.
It was a solid season for the 2025 third-round pick out of the University of Oklahoma. Yet if you ask Carmichael, there was another aspect to his game that meant more than numbers.
“My consistency,” Carmichael said. “I take a lot of pride in that. How I show up and perform … but also who I am as a person, whether it’s going well or not.”
The maturity mental approach comes naturally to Carmichael, who sounds like he’s 22 going on 29 or 30 and has moved quickly through Pittsburgh’s system.
Carmichael’s mother, Julie, is a certified life coach and teaches yoga on the side. His father, Darby, was an accomplished baseball player at Oklahoma, where he later coached.
It’s resulted in ample self-awareness for Easton Carmichael, who played three years at Oklahoma and developed a bunch — something he believed he needed out of high school more so than professional baseball.
“It got to draft day,” Carmichael said, explaining why he chose college over entertaining offers to sign with a club that drafted him.
“I had an opportunity that didn’t make sense for me, whereas if I really wanted to, I probably could have entertained it.
“The money wasn’t right, but I also think that was God’s way of saying, ‘No, you need to go to college and develop that way.’ Ultimately that was the best decision for me.”
And the Pirates, who wanted Carmichael to get some more reps by playing in the Arizona Fall League, in some ways making up for missed time caused by a wrist injury last season but also building volume that will be necessary in the coming years.
Carmichael, who has ascended to the No. 8 spot on MLB Pipeline’s rankings for the Pirates, figures to return to Double-A Altoona in 2027.
MLB Pipeline projects Carmichael’s debut to come in 2028, though that could certainly be sped up given his age, offensive production and an injury or two.
In the meantime, Carmichael isn’t the type to over-worry about his place in the organization. He enjoys being where his feet are and trying to be the same guy every day.
“I take a lot of pride in that because it’s hard,” Carmichael said. “It’s a long season. There are days when you’re tired, and you might not feel great. But I try to be where my feet are and not dwell on anything for too long.”
One thing that has changed for Carmichael involves his weight. Coming out of high school, he was 170 pounds. “Lanky” was how he described himself.
This past season, Carmichael was consistently around 205.
Asked what led to hitting 17 homers as a junior in Norman compared to 13 total his first two seasons, Carmichael said he didn’t drastically change his swing or approach. Mental maturity was about the same.
“I’ve gotten into my grown man body, filling out more,” Carmichael said. “I’ve always known power was there and could come. It was just a matter of when.”
The same for the numbers Carmichael produced in 2026, his first full pro season, amassing 45 extra-base hits, stealing 13 bases and scoring 70 runs.
That patience has been evident in Arizona, too. Despite hitting just .188 with a .485 OPS through four games, Carmichael stayed back on a sinker Thursday and drilled a 103.2 mph double to right field, showcasing that same impressive power.
“I’ve always had a pretty good feel for hitting,” Carmichael said. “Ive been blessed that way.”
Defensively, Carmichael has also made strides this season. Though he only threw out 23.7% of runners (32 of 135), the Pirates have worked with Carmichael on his throwing, using biomechanics to streamline movements and increase velocity.
“We think there’s some meat on the bone there,” Carmichael said.
There’s still some development left for Carmichael, who hit .303 at Greensboro compared to .244 in Altoona. But the Pirates are also working off of an impressive palate, an athletic player with a very mature mindset, something Carmichael directly attributes to his parents.
“They’ve taught me a lot about how to be self-aware and consistent,” Carmichael said. “[Oklahoma baseball coach] Skip Johnson is that way, too. It was very much one pitch at a time.
“I hope my teammates would say that I’m the same guy every day because I do take a lot of pride in my work ethic, consistency and trying to go about things the right way.”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.