Pirates Have Next Great Catching Prospect

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have some great prospects for the future, including one catcher who could be a star at the position.

Axiel Plaz had a great season at High-A Greensboro, his best yet, showing off his bat and proving that he has great potential for the Pirates.

Plaz earned South Atlantic League Player of the Week honors against Ashville (Houston Astros) batting .563/.667/1.250 for an OPS of 1.917, with nine hits in 16 at-bats, seven runs, two doubles, three home runs, eight RBI and five walks to three strikeouts in four games.

It was a great way for Plaz to finish the regular season and bodes well for him heading into 2027.

How Plaz Excelled in 2026

Plaz dominated for Greensboro this year, batting .305/.389/.513 for an OPS of .902 in 94 games, with 109 hits, 56 runs, 20 doubles, 18 home runs, 74 RBI and 39 walks to 71 strikeouts.

He was one of the best hitters in the South Atlantic League, second in batting average, third in OPS, fifth in slugging percentage and ninth in on-base percentage, plus sixth in hits, ninth in total bases (183) tied for 15th in doubles, tied for 18th in home runs.

Plaz mostly avoided injury this season, which limited him to 66 games in 2024, and played in a career-high 94 games this season, only spending one stint on the injured list, 12 games from May 27 to June 9.

He had his best month in May, batting .318/.384/.621 for an OPS of 1.005, with 21 hits in 66 at-bats, five doubles, five home runs and 11 RBI.

Plaz improved massively from his past two seasons, hitting .207/.302/.438 for an OPS of .740 in 76 games with Single-A Bradenton in 2024 and .262/.348/.450 for an OPS of .798 in 55 games with Bradenton in 2025.

He also hit .086/.214/.200 for an OPS of .414 in 11 games with Greensboro last season, so this season has been a big change for him.

One of the more encouraging signs from Plaz is that he didn't just hit well at the batter-friendly First National Bank Field, where Greensboro plays, but also performed on the road.

Plaz hit .301/.365/.545 for an OPS of .911 at home and .309/.411/.481 for an OPS of .892 on the road, both almost similar in 47 games each.

He also has some games left with Greensboro, as they face Frederick in the South Atlantic League playoffs and can continue showing off his talents for a little while longer.

Where Plaz Projects Going Forward

The Pirates have a few solid catcher prospects, including Easton Carmichael at Double-A Altoona and Edgleen Perez at Bradenton, so there's always competition for Plaz.

Plaz is the best power hitter of the bunch and can also play first base or end up as a designated hitter in the future, if catching isn't where he ends up full-time.

He is eligible for the Rule 5 Draft this offseason, but it's unlikely he gets selected, so he will most likely start 2027 in Double-A.

Plaz is still young, turning 21 years old on Aug. 12, so he's got a couple years to develop into the right-handed power-hitting star the Pirates hope he'll become.