Surprise Pirates Catcher Called ‘Hidden Gem’ After Great Stretch

The Pittsburgh Pirates won’t be in the playoffs this year, but there still is a lot to like about the team.

Pittsburgh has taken a step forward and has shown enough that some already have started to speculate that the Pirates could end up being a playoff team in 2025. The Pirates are loaded with young talent and most of the headlines have been about players like ace Paul Skenes.

He isn’t the only member of the Pirates who has had success, though. One player who has performed above expectations is 27-year-old catcher Joey Bart. He has impressed this season and was called Pittsburgh’s “hidden gem” by Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter.

“Joey Bart was viewed as a future franchise cornerstone and the heir apparent to Buster Posey when the San Francisco Giants selected him with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 draft following a stellar college career at Georgia Tech,” Reuter said. “However, his stalled development coupled with the emergence of Patrick Bailey pushed him out of the Giants plans this season, and he was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for minor league reliever Austin Strickland on April 2.

“The 27-year-old has seemingly benefited greatly from the change of scenery, hitting .267/.343/.495 for a 131 OPS+ with 13 home runs and 42 RBI in just 236 plate appearances in Pittsburgh. Suddenly the Pirates have a potential long-term answer behind the plate, with Bart carrying club control through 2027.”

Bart wasn’t expected to play much of a role with the Pirates this season, but he has appeared in 68 games and is having arguably the best season of his career. Pittsburgh may have found a solid piece in Bart.

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