Former Pirates Catcher Rejoins Team in Baseball Operations

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates aren't a stranger to bringing former players back, even if that means it's not necessarily on the playing field.

Former Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings is with the team at the start of Spring Training, but not on the roster, as a part of their baseball operations department.

Stallings spent most of his professional career with the Pirates, featuring as their starting catcher the first two years of the decade.

His return now brings back a Pirates player who didn't come close to making the postseason, but now can focus on making sure this current team achieves that goal.

Stallings' Tenure with the Pirates

The Pirates took Stallings in the seventh round of the 2014 MLB Draft out of North Carolina, where he slashed .294/.388/.445 for an OPS of .834 over his college career.

Stallings spent almost four seasons in the minor leagues, before the Pirates called him up on June 21, 2016, but only played in five games that season. He played in five games in 2017 and 14 games in 2018 with the Pirates, spending most of these three seasons with Triple-A Indianapolis.

He would finally play a substantial amount in a season with the Pirates in 2019, following an injury to catcher Francisco Cervelli. Stallings slashed .262/.325/.382 for an OPS of .708, with 50 hits, five doubles, six home runs, 13 RBIs and 16 walks to 40 strikeouts that season.

Jul 17, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings (58) hits a game winning grand slam home run to defeat the New York Mets during the ninth inning at PNC Park. Pittsburgh won 9-7. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Stallings became the starting catcher for the Pirates in the 60-game shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He started 40 of 42 games he played in, slashing .248/.326/.376 for an OPS of .702, with 31 hits, seven doubles, three home runs, 18 RBIs, 15 walks to 40 strikeouts.

He started 103 of the 112 games he played for the Pirates at catcher in 2021, marking his first and only full season with the team. He slashed .246/.335/.369 for an OPS of .704, with 92 hits, 20 doubles, one triple, eight home runs, 53 RBIs and 49 walks to 85 strikeouts.

The Pirates traded Stallings to the Miami Marlins on Nov. 29, 2021 for right-handed pitchers in Zach Thompson and Kyle Nicolas, plus outfielder Connor Scott.

Stallings' Post-Pirates Career

Stallings appeared in 202 games for the Marlins over the next two seasons, where he struggled. He slashed .210/.287/.290 for an OPS of .576.

He signed a one-year contract with the Rockies for the 2024 season, where he had a solid slash line of .263/.357/.453 for an OPS of .810 in 82 games.

Stallings hit poorly in 2025, .143/.217/.179 for an OPS of .396, before the Rockies released him on June 6.

May 4, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Colorado Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings (25) looks on against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images | Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles then signed Stallings to a minor league deal on June 24 and then selected his contract on July 1.

Stallings had just four hits in 35 at-bats, .114 batting average, before the Orioles designated him for assignment on July 28. Stallings then elected free agency on July 31, ending his time with the franchise.

He is also the son of former University of Pittsburgh men's basketball head coach, Kevin Stallings, who led the program to a 24-41 overall record and 4-32 record in the ACC over two seasons from 2016-18.

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