Four catchers vie for two spots in the Pittsburgh Pirates' spring training camp.
The biggest storyline of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ spring training camp is whether mega prospect Konnor Griffin wins the opening-day shortstop job as a 19-year-old.
Yet another intriguing situation is the battle between four catchers for what will likely be just two spots on the opening-day roster. It will be manager Don Kelly’s job to get Joey Bart, Henry Davis, Endy Rodriguez, and rookie Rafael Flores enough playing time during the Grapefruit League games to determine who will make the team.
Beyond those four catchers on the 40-man roster, Kelly also praised non-roster invitees Omar Alfonzo, Derek Berg, and Shawn Ross. Baseball America ranks Flores as the Pirates’ No. 6 and Alfonzo at No. 13.
“It’s a great thing. Honestly, I feel like the depth that we have there is really, really good – not just the guys on the roster but the guys we have in camp (as non-roster players),” Kelly said. “With the guys that are on the roster, we feel like we have four that can play every day and can do different things. They complement each other well in what they’re able to do, and they’re continuing to get better.”
Bart has started the most games in each of his two years with the Pirates after being acquired from the San Francisco Giants in a trade during the first week of the 2024 season. However, Bart is not exactly a true No. 1 catcher as he started 72 games in 2024 and 80 games last season.
Bart hit 13 home runs in his first season with Pittsburgh, but that total dipped to four as he batted .249/.355/.340 in 93 games last year.
Davis was the first overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and has turned out to be the opposite of the player he was expected to be when he left the University of Louisville.
Scouts thought Davis would be a good major-league hitter but so poor defensively that he would likely have to change positions. Instead, Davis is clearly the best defender among the Pirates’ four catchers but has hit .181/.262/.294 with 15 home runs in 186 games during his three-year career.
Rodriguez was considered Pittsburgh's top prospect prior to the 2023 season. However, he had elbow surgery that year and again in 2025. Rodriguez has a 210/.276/.311 slash line in 75 big league games, but showed a sign of progress on Saturday when he homered in the Pirates’ exhibition opener.
Flores was acquired from the Yankees at last year’s trade deadline in a deal that sent two-time All-Star closer David Bednar to New York. Flores made his MLB debut last season with a seven-game stint, and Pittsburgh is intrigued by his power. Flores homered 21 times in the minor leagues two years ago and 22 times last season.
So, it will be interesting to see how this completion plays out over the next month.
“Figuring it out as we go,” Kelly said. “From the catching standpoint, it’s nice to have seven guys that you can trust and are going to do a good job.”
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