This is one in a series of stories breaking down PBN’s Top 30 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.
The Pirates took two catchers within the first five rounds of the 2025 draft, the first of which was Easton Carmichael from the University of Oklahoma in round three.
Carmichael’s storied collegiate career included being named a First Team All-American by Perfect Game and College Baseball Foundation after his junior season. He finished seventh in program history in RBI and finished 11th in home runs.
In 172 career games with the Sooners, Carmichael slashed .336/.387/.558 with 37 doubles, 13 triples, 30 home runs, 174 RBI and 30 stolen bases.
Carmichael shined in the Cape Cod League last summer and took home All-Star Game MVP honors. He finished the wooden bat league with a .299/.372/.496 batting line with 10 doubles, five home runs, 23 RBI and six steals in 36 games.
After signing with the Pirates for $977,000, Carmichael skipped Low-A Bradenton and went straight to High-A Greensboro. Offensively, it was a slow start 21-year-old, albeit in a small sample.
In 14 games with the Grasshoppers, Carmichael went 6 for 50 (.120) with a home run, a pair of RBI and a stolen bases.
Although he struggled with the bat, Carmichael found much more success behind the plate in the very early portion of his professional career. In 14 games at catcher, Carmichael had a 32% caught stealing rate and a .985 fielding percentage.
MLB Pipeline considered Carmichael the 93rd-best draft-eligible prospect in this year’s class and pegged him for solid tools across the board. While one area of his game might not stand out above the rest, by all indications, Carmichael is athletic for a catcher.
Given that he began his professional career in Greensboro and that he possesses a high floor due to his skillset, Carmichael could be someone who reaches the big leagues relatively quickly if he’s able to show more in his first full professional season in 2026.
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