The offensive emergence of Endy Rodriguez early and Rafael Flores Jr. late in the 2026 season led to some sneaky productivity for Pirates catchers, that group ranking fifth throughout MLB in home runs and seventh in OPS.
But it wasn’t just the guys up top.
There were also some impressive developmental stories in the Minor Leagues, perhaps none more so than Axiel Plaz, Pittsburgh’s No. 7-ranked prospect by MLB Pipeline.
Plaz finished third in the entire system with a .305 batting average and was one of the best hitters in the entire South Atlantic League while playing 94 games for High-A Greensboro.
The 21-year-old ranked second in batting average, third in OPS (.902) and fifth in slugging percentage (.513), upping the power quotient in his swing while also reducing his strikeout rate to a career-low 17.2%.
“I feel like I was a better hitter this year than I was last year,” Plaz said last month at the Forge High Performance Camp at Pirate City, with Juan Guerra translating. “I wasn’t trying to do too much. I was just trying to make contact, and I was able to do that.”
It’s one of several reasons why the Pirates are encouraged by Plaz’s development.
After hitting .236 with a .741 OPS in 66 games for Low-A Bradenton and High-A Greensboro in 2025, Plaza amassed 20 doubles, 18 homers and 74 RBIs, profiling as a complete hitter more so than an all-or-nothing type.
“He hits the ball really, really hard. That’s the calling card,” said Pirates director of coaching and player development Michael Chernow. “But his ability to touch the baseball and the contact quality he possesses, it really has a chance to be special.”
It’s been an interesting trajectory for Plaz since signing with the Pirates out of Venezuela for $350,000 in January 2022.
A few months later, Plaz made an impressive debut with Pirates Gold in the Dominican Summer League, hitting .382 with a 1.206 OPS in 32 games. But after coming to the U.S., Plaz didn’t adjust well to the Florida Complex League the following season, hitting just .144 with a .596 OPS in 2023.
The move to Low-A Bradenton seemed to help Plaz in 2024, as he homered 15 times in 76 games for the Marauders — but also struck out nearly 30% of the time. The next season showed a slight uptick in progress, though a fractured finger limited Plaz to 66 games.
After adjusting his batting stance and learning he needed to load earlier, Plaz enjoyed a breakthrough season he felt had been building.
“I was healthy, so the expectations I had in Spring Training, I was able to achieve them,” Plaz said. “But I feel proud because it’s not the sort of thing you build [quickly].
“I put in a lot of effort, dedication and work to make it happen.”
The emergence of Plaz, as well as that of Easton Carmichael and Edgleen Perez, gives the Pirates three catchers within their top 10, a rare sight and nice luxury.
Carmichael, a 23-year-old who played his college ball at Oklahoma, is ahead of Plaz and Perez when it comes to development. But that also adds a little intrigue to this particular situation.
In other words, what’s the ceiling for Plaz?
Plaz has seen an uptick in his throwing and finished 2026 with a career-best 37% caught-stealing rate. He’s also produced at least a .979 fielding percentage each of the past three seasons, showing the Pirates signal of improvement.
Meanwhile, they want to see more consistency paired with a premium arm graded 55 on scouts’ 20-to-80 scale.
“[Plaz] has the tools and ingredients to be a solid defender and game-changer behind the plate with the top-scale arm strength he possesses,” Chernow said. “We need to continue to challenge him to grow with pitch-to-pitch consistency.
“As he climbs the system, that focus must go from good to great to be effective at the Major League level.”
Like many Pirates prospects, that has been the focus at the Forge camp: daily habits to foster consistency and ways to create what Plaz describe as "reset moments" when things aren't going well.
Similar to his frame — Plaz is listed at 165 pounds, which isn’t anywhere close to accurate — Plaz has been making positive strides in a short amount of time.
At a position where power tends to come at a premium, it’s creating a good problem to have for the Pirates.
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.