BRADENTON, Fla. -- Mitch Keller was throwing live batting practice at Pirate City last week, and three of the top prospect’s pitches to Jake Elmore were on the edge of the zone, maybe even a little outside. Jacob Stallings made sure they were called strikes.

Stallings caught Keller’s pitches in just the right spots, at just the right angles, to turn a potential 3-0 count into a strikeout. As Elmore walked off the field, he smiled and turned toward the plate saying, “He makes that look good!”

“That’s literally his job,” left-hander Steven Brault replied.

Stallings and the rest of Pittsburgh’s catchers are taking that part of the job seriously in Spring Training.

The top four catching options in camp are Stallings, Luke Maile, John Ryan Murphy and Andrew Susac. Stallings and Maile are on the 40-man roster, while Murphy and Susac were brought into camp on Minor League deals. They all share a common reputation: below-average with the bat, but excellent behind the plate.

“I think we have a really good catching situation altogether. Everyone’s super cerebral,” starter Chris Archer said. “Everyone’s prioritizing defense. They’re working specifically on drills to get better, and it’s nice to see. Having that comfort is always going to help you as a pitcher.”

Last season, Stallings ranked eighth in the Majors in catchers’ fielding runs above average, according to Baseball Prospectus. He earned pitchers’ trust with his game-calling and diligent preparation, and his work to improve as a pitch-framer paid off in a big way. He’ll likely be the Pirates’ starting catcher come Opening Day, about 10 months after he was removed from their 40-man roster.

Maile ranked 16th in catchers’ fielding runs above average despite limited playing time in Toronto. Murphy ranked 10th in 2018, when he played in 87 games for Arizona. Susac has spent the least amount of time in the Majors, but according to Statcast, he totaled two runs from extra strikes for the Giants in 2015.

Glenn Sherlock, who has more than 35 years of professional baseball experience under his belt, has been charged with coaching the catchers since he was hired on Dec. 23. Their top priority, he said, has been building relationships with the pitching staff and understanding each pitcher’s strengths and weaknesses. That’s particularly important for Maile, Murphy and Susac, who are new to the organization.

“You get a fresh perspective on some things that you haven’t heard in a little bit or maybe you haven’t heard at all,” Maile said. “The cool thing is the experience we have here. It’s nothing to sniff at, man.”

When it comes to drill work, Sherlock said their biggest focus has been on receiving. That was the area in which Stallings took significant strides last season: making sure strikes are called as such and presenting borderline pitches as strikes that might swing counts in pitchers’ favor.

“The receiving aspect is something [Sherlock] and I have talked about a lot, then all the catchers have talked about it a lot more,” Stallings said. “That’s been really good, because I’ve picked Luke’s and JR’s and Susac’s mind a little bit and they’ve been picking my mind.”

• Box score: Red Sox 6, Pirates 3

Those conversations always take place among catchers, Murphy said. He compared catching to hitting: There are a lot of different ways to do it, and subtle adjustments in technique can unlock major improvements. So just like hitters in the batting cage, catchers share thoughts when they’re working behind the plate.

“They’re different sizes, different shapes, different flexibilities, so they’re able to do things a little bit differently,” Sherlock said. “But you can see them talking, like, ‘Hey, what about this pitch? What do you like to do on this pitch? How does this work for you?’ You can see that there’s a lot of communication going on about what works for them.”

Maile keeps the ball in his glove when he pump-fakes a throw, for instance, a technique Stallings has tested out this spring. Stallings has talked with Murphy about the value of receiving pitches that might be strikes even if they’re off-target. Maile said he’s considered making minor adjustments to the way he receives pitches based on ideas he’s heard the last three weeks.

Maile said the Pirates have a group of catchers who “like to listen more than they like to talk,” which has led to an open -- and productive -- exchange of ideas.

“If you spend any time watching our group of catchers catch, they can really catch,” manager Derek Shelton said. “And when you have that … you’re helping pitchers, and I think that’s the ultimate goal.”

It’s literally their job, in fact.