The Pittsburgh Pirates catching unit in 2025 somehow experienced some improvement, but not in a way that polarized the position group, rather it may have become clear just how poor this group is.
Joey Bart
Joey Bart is the most seasoned major leaguer from this otherwise very young group. Bart came to Pittsburgh from the San Francisco Giants and in many ways was getting a second start to a career that had not amounted to much after being drafted second overall in 2018. Last season certainly was looking like
Bart may be turning the page on disappointment and starting a new chapter as a quality every day catcher. In 2024, Bart slashed .265/.337/.462 with 13 home runs. Far from elite, but it was certainly an improvement from what he was doing with the Giants.
In 2025, fans were hoping that Bart could improve upon this newfound success, but instead he took a step back and regressed significantly. Bart finished this campaign with a slash line of .249/.355/.340 with an OPS of just .695, a steep drop from 2024’s .799 OPS. He also had a decline in homers, finishing the season with just four and also 15 less RBIs and 20 less total bases despite playing in 13 more contests and having 32 more at bats.
Bart is eligible for arbitration in 2026, and given the amount of younger catchers behind him. I don’t think he’ll be receiving a long term deal from Pittsburgh, but he is still probably the team’s best option at the position.
Henry Davis
Henry Davis actually improved his numbers from 2024 while appearing in 50 more games, but it’s still a grim reflection of a player that was the first overall draft pick in 2021. Still though, it was on paper an improvement.
2025 saw Davis finish with a slash line of .167/.234/.512 with every one of his offensive marks being better than his 2024 numbers. Again that does not mean Davis had a good 2025. His output at the plate is abysmal, and while there is the understanding that these things take time, it’s frustrating when the player was highly touted and someone thought he was worthy of being a team’s top draft choice. Davis was well known for his offensive output in college and in the minors, but has shown almost none of that prowess while with Pittsburgh.
All the negative side, Davis is an elite-level defender, and has shown that he can command a defense and has the arm strength and accuracy to catch baserunners. He performs well any time he’s paired with pitcher Paul Skenes, which at the very least shows that they have good chemistry, something that we should expect to see next season.
Rafael Flores
Rafael Flores was traded from the New York Yankees to Pittsburgh on July 31 and only appeared in 7 games for the Pirates. During his time in the Yankees’ farm system, he was one of the brightest stars, showing great offensive output with their Double-A club. Given his offensive prowess, Flores should have a chance to compete next season.
Endy Rodriguez
Endy Rodríguez — along with Henry Davis — was supposed to be the future of the Pirates’ young core. Unfortunately 2024 saw him miss nearly the entire season after undergoing surgery on his right elbow after suffering an injury in the Dominican Winter League. 2025 would see Rodriguez get off to an injury ridden start as well, being sidelined early on with a hand laceration, and then being shut down completely after suffering from right elbow inflammation.
The 25-year old catcher last appeared on June 4 against the Houston Astros. In 18 games, Rodriguez finished his season with nine hits, 14 strikeouts, zero home runs, and a batting average of .173 and playing a majority of the time at first base while Spencer Horwitz was sidelined.
Is it too early to pull the plug on Endy? Or has this experiment already gone on for too long? It’ll be an uphill battle for the ailing prospect.
