For a team that has considerable questions defensively at multiple positions, catcher may be one of the Pirates’ strengths.
2021 No. 1 overall pick Henry Davis is in line to be the Pirates’ lead catcher in 2026.
Drafted for his bat rather than his defense, Davis has transformed his game into a considerable defensive player, while he tries to catch up offensively.
Despite a .167 average in 87 games, Davis registered a 0.7 WAR and a 28% caught-stealing rate last season.
Davis emerged as Paul Skenes’ primary catcher, securing him a roster spot on the Pirates as the trusted confidant for the 2025 NL Cy Young winner.
He is also expected to catch Mitch Keller and Bubba Chandler, the No. 11 prospect in baseball, per Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
If, and it’s a big if, Davis can improve at the plate, the Pirates will be in a considerably better position on the bottom third of the lineup.
Davis slashed .167/.234/.278 with only a .512 OPS in his third MLB season.
This season will be a significant line of demarcation for what Davis could be moving forward. He was drafted as an elite hitter, rushed to the big leagues, and thrown in right field for his bat.
Pirates pitchers trust him; it’s past time he trusts himself and figures it out at the plate to stay in the majors for good.
Joey Bart is in line to be the backup catcher to Davis. Despite frequent trade rumors surrounding the former No. 2 pick by the San Francisco Giants, Bart remains on the Pirates roster and is a key offensive threat against left-handed pitching.
Bart’s power numbers dipped significantly last year, hitting four home runs in 93 games compared to 13 in 80 contests during the 2023 season.
He hit .249 overall with a .340 slugging percentage, but ballooned to a .306 average and .472 slugging against lefties.
Signing Marcell Ozuna likely takes at-bats away from Bart in the DH spot, primarily keeping his role behind the plate.
The Pirates created a logjam at first base with Spencer Horwitz and free-agent signing Ryan O’Hearn.
Bart hasn’t played an inning at first, but is an intriguing option to add another right-handed bat to the lineup if the Pirates pursue the opportunity.
He drove in 45 runs with a near .800 OPS in 2024 as one of the Bucs’ best offensive players. The Pirates have potential at catcher from two players taken in the top two picks of the draft, but haven’t fulfilled their true potential offensively and defensively.
Acquired in the David Bednar deal at the 2025 MLB trade deadline, Rafael Flores is the biggest wild card of the group.
Flores, 25, made his big league debut on September 17 and recorded three hits in 15 at-bats.
He only caught one of his seven games, playing first base in six as a right-handed stick in the lineup.
The 6-foot-4, 232-pound catcher is a career .275 hitter in the minor leagues and hit over 20 home runs the past two seasons.
In 36 games with Triple-A Indianapolis following the trade, Flores clobbered six home runs and drove in 28 runs, slashing .281/.363/.459 in the process.
Flores has potential, but needs the opportunity. Trading Bart would open the door for him, but keeping Bart likely means Flores will begin at Triple-A.
Endy Rodriguez has dealt with injuries the past two seasons that cost him all of 2024 and limited him to 18 games last year.
Now listed as a first baseman on the Pirates website but still described in camp as a catcher, Rodriguez’s role remains a mystery.
He could return to Triple-A to get himself right and regroup with roster spots on the MLB roster, hard to come by this campaign.
GM Ben Cherington said before camp that he believed this is the best roster the Pirates have had in his tenure, looking to make the postseason for the first time in over a decade.
The former Pirates Minor League Player of the Year is still only 25 years old, a valuable switch hitter, and a lifetime .292 hitter in the Minors.
Rodriguez hit .323 with 25 home runs and 95 RBIs in 2022 and looked to be one of the next solid bats in the Pirates’ lineup for many years to come.
The Pirates play the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday at 1:05 p.m. in the first Spring Training game of the season.