Pirates Roster Battle: Who Will Serve as Joey Bart’s Backup?

After a strong first impression in 2024 and a superb spring training this year, Joey Bart will be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting catcher this season.

Bart slashed .265/.337/.462 with 11 doubles, 13 home runs and 45 RBIs in 80 games last season after he was acquired from the San Francisco Giants in a trade at the beginning of the season.

This spring, the 28-year-old carries a robust .387/.474/.710 batting line with three home runs and nine RBIs in 12 games.

While there’s no question who will be behind the plate as Paul Skenes’ battery mate on Opening Day in Miami next week, who Bart’s backup will be is still to be decided.

The battle is between two young players with pedigree. Henry Davis was drafted by the Pirates with the first pick in the 2021 draft out of the University of Louisville. He’s up against Endy Rodríguez, who was a consensus top 100 prospect prior to making his major-league debut in 2023.

While both players were considered top prospects, neither has made a real impact in the major leagues.

Davis appeared in 99 games with the Pirates across the last two seasons. Despite excellent minor-league numbers, the 25-year-old has hit just .191 with a .590 OPS, 14 doubles, eight home runs and 29 RBIs. He’s also struck out 141 times across 377 plate appearances.

Rodríguez played in 57 games for the Pirates in his rookie season in 2023 and hit .220/.284/.328 with seven doubles, a pair of triples, three home runs and 13 RBIs. He didn’t play in a game in the big leagues last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery the previous offseason.

Despite spotty track records as big-leaguers, both players are showing reasons for optimism this spring.

Davis has slipped a bit lately but has a solid .781 OPS to go along with two doubles, two home runs and five RBIs in 13 games. Rodríguez has stayed hot and carries a .360/.529/.640 batting line with two doubles, a triple, one homer, six RBIs and nine walks against three strikeouts in 34 plate appearances.

If the decision was based off of spring performance alone, Rodríguez would surely be the guy, but there’s more to it than that.

In serving as Bart’s backup, either Davis or Rodríguez would not receive consistent playing time behind the plate. Whoever starts the season with Triple-A Indianapolis will get everyday at-bats and work behind the plate.

By that logic, Rodríguez might be best served starting the year in Triple-A. Outside of a handful of minor-league games at the end of last season, Rodríguez wasn’t able to develop his skills after his Tommy John surgery.

But for me, while I am encouraged by what Davis has shown this spring, Rodríguez would still be my choice. Here’s why.

First off, you can’t brush off what he’s done this spring. He’s hit the ball with authority and has looked very comfortable at the plate. His 26.5% walk rate against a 8.8% walk rate is exceptional.

Secondly, yes, Rodríguez will still get reps at catcher on off days for Bart. He’ll also get the chance to continue to work with the major-league staff to fine-tune his game.

And while the Pirates remain adamant Rodríguez is a catcher, and I agree to an extent, with a glaring hole at first base due to an injury to Spencer Horwitz, I would use Rodríguez at first base to fill the void.

Rodríguez has familiarity at the position after all. He’s logged 43 games at first base in the minor leagues and logged a couple of innings there in his debut season with the Pirates in 2023. So it wouldn’t be entirely foreign to him.

Even though it doesn’t seem like the Pirates have the same line of thinking as me in that regard, Rodríguez should still be the pick. A 26-man roster should consist of a team’s best players.