Pirates in Deep Trouble With Catcher Issues

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a much better showing offensively as a team, but one position group is still lacking.

Pirates catchers in Joey Bart and Henry Davis have performed poorly from the plate this season and haven't provided the necessary production this team needs to compete for the postseason.

Bart has slashed .158/.214/.263 for an OPS of .477 in 15 games, with six hits in 38 at-bats, a double, a home run, three RBI and two walks to 17 strikeouts.

Davis has performed about as poorly, slashing .161/.257/.210 for an OPS of .467 in 23 games, with 10 hits in 62 at-bats, three doubles, three RBI and six walks to 14 strikeouts.

The Pirates didn't necessarily expect either catcher to lead the league in any offensive statistic, but they simply need more from the duo as the season goes on.

What the Pirates Need From Both Catchers Moving Forward

Davis may struggle at the plate, but behind it, he's been brilliant for the Pirates, developing into a great defensive catcher who calls a fantastic game.

He's the personal catcher for Paul Skenes and had +8 defensive runs saved (DRS) in 2025, earning himself Gold Glove Award votes.

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes and Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis — Apr 18, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes (30) and Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis (32) confer on the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays during the second inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

There's a big discrepancy in games with Davis starts and Bart does for the Pirates, with a record of 12-7 for Davis and 4-7 for Bart.

Davis will stick around with the Pirates as long as he keeps up his great work from behind the plate, but they do need him to become at least a decent hitter.

He doesn't have to necessarily be as good as they envisioned when they drafted him first overall out of Louisville in 2021, but someone that can help the Pirates out at times and isn't as much of a liability.

Bart is in a different spot, as the Pirates traded for him as a catcher that could provide production from the plate, particularly against left-handed pitchers

He had a strong showing in 2024, slashing .265/.337/.462 for an OPS of .799 with 13 home runs, including a slash line of .333/.405/.591 for an OPS of .996 against southpaws.

Apr 14, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (14) circles the bases on a solo home run against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Bart didn't have that same kind of success last season, with just four home runs, seeing his slugging percentage drop to .340 and his OPS to .695, both more than 100 points.

His hitting this season has been even worse and the Pirates need him to find some power and get back to the production he had in 2024, which would make him a solid No. 2 catcher.

Could the Pirates Turn Elsewhere?

The Pirates have two other catchers on the 40-man roster in Rafael Flores Jr. and Endy Rodríguez, both of whom are at Triple-A Indianapolis.

Neither catcher is hitting well in the minors, with Flores slashing .202/.324/.337 for an OPS of .661 and Rodríguez slashing .195/.303/.268 for an OPS of .571.

Those numbers won't impress the Pirates front office or force them to make a tough decision moving forward.

Both catchers are also known as better hitters than their performances from behind the plate, so unless they start turning things around, Bart and Davis will be the Pirates catchers for the foreseeable future.

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