Pirates Position Group Breakdown: Starting Catcher is Known But Still Lots of Questions

This is one in a series of breaking down the Pittsburgh Pirates position groups leading up to spring training. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates received a pleasant surprise after they made what looked like a minor trade early in the season last year.

The Pirates acquired catcher Joey Bart from the San Francisco Giants after he had been designated for assignment a few days prior. The cost to get him was minor-league pitcher Austin Strickland.

Bart, who was the second overall pick of the Giants out of Georgia Tech in the 2018 draft, had yet to meet expectations as a big-leaguer.

The heir-apparent to Giants’ legend Buster Posey, Bart totaled just 162 games with San Francisco from 2020-23 and hit .219/.288/.335 with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs.

But Bart emerged as one of the Pirates’ top hitters in 2024 and became a mainstay in the middle of the lineup. In 80 games with Pittsburgh, Bart hit .265 with a .799 OPS. He set career-highs with 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 45 RBIs.

Bart’s emergence with the Pirates last season did enough to ensure that he will be the club’s Opening Day starting backstop and battery mate of reigning Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes.

But can the Pirates count on the now 28-year-old to continue his success after a below-par start to the season? He’ll get every chance to prove his first season in Pittsburgh was no fluke, but if slips back to his old ways, the Pirates have depth at the position. But in that depth, there are even further questions.

In addition to Bart, the Pirates have three other catchers currently on the 40-man roster: Endy Rodríguez, Henry Davis and Jason Delay.

Rodríguez will return to the field after being out of action for the majority of the season due to offseason Tommy John surgery.

The 24-year-old, who was considered one of the Pirates’ top prospects, made his MLB debut in 2023 and played in 57 games. He posted a .220/.284/.328 batting line and had a 30% caught stealing rate defensively.

Despite a poor showing with the bat in his hands, Rodríguez has high potential and a good track record as a minor-leaguer. He’s someone the Pirates will be counting on to help turn around their offensive woes.

Davis, the top pick in the 2021 draft, has played parts of the last two seasons with the Pirates but hasn’t inspired much confidence. Through the first 99 games of his career, Davis has hit just .191 with a .590 OPS and has struck out in over 30% of his plate appearances. There are defensive questions too.

Despite both Rodríguez and Davis having experience at other positions, the Pirates remain adamant that they still view both players as catchers.

Because that’s case, it seems likely one of the two will be Bart’s backup to begin the season. It will be an important role, too, as Bart battled some injuries last season and a starting catcher is more of a part-time job in today’s game.

As for Delay, it’s tough to see the Pirates rostering four catchers to open the season. Despite a good reputation from the pitchers he’s worked with, he’s much likelier to be a roster casualty than any of the other three.