by Don Laible

Henry Davis’s time has come to be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ full-time starting catcher.
After being swept by the Chicago White Sox this past weekend at home, the Pirates began a three-game series at PNC Park on Monday against the visiting Detroit Tigers.  Heading into Monday’s game, Detroit leads the American League Central at 60-40, with a full 11-game lead over second-place Cleveland.
The Pirates are in the basement of the National League Central. With 100 games played, and 62 more for the 2025 regular season, the Pirates have a 39-61 record.
Will Pittsburgh be seeing postseason action in October? Likely they will not. However, there can be no “throwing in the towel” for the Buccos.  There are several questions needing attention from the club’s baseball operations staff.  One question that should be defined before the final Pirates’ game is played on September 28 in Atlanta is who will arrive at spring training in Bradenton as the club’s starting catcher in 2026.
The back-and-forth of having Henry Davis and Joey Bart behind the plate needs to be settled on one being the everyday starter.  When you have a player of Davis’s pedigree, an overall no.1 MLB draft pick in 2021, the club needs to show faith in him. Does he have the skills to be the leader for the pitching staff to rally around and be comfortable throwing to him daily?
So far this season, in 48 games, Davis is struggling with his bat.  He is 3- for-25 at the plate for the month of July.  With a batting average of .191, Davis has struck out 36 times in 136 at-bats.  The four home runs and 12 RBIs registered by Davis aren’t turning heads in his favor, in the debate as to who should go into the off-season as the starting catcher for 2026.
Since making his MLB debut with the Pirates in 2023, being platooned in managers Derek Shelton and Don Kelly’s lineups, Davis hasn’t blossomed into the star fans and most likely management have expected.  His lifetime batting average is, ironically, .191.  Since his call-up in 2023, Davis averages a strikeout every three at-bats.
He’s 25 years old, and Davis is a hard worker. I watched him for six weeks this past spring training. I can’t think of another player that was in camp who worked his proverbial tail off at the level of what I witnessed with Davis.
Questions need to be answered regarding Davis’s future with the organization. Pittsburgh needs to know, and Davis deserves to know where he stands. Does he even have a future with the Pirates after this season? He is currently signed through this season.
Throughout his minor league tenure, Davis consistently hit opposing pitchers well, at Single-A Bradenton, Double-A Altoona, and Triple-A Indianapolis. In eight games with the Indianapolis Indians this season, Davis hit .286.
Consistent playing time breeds confidence and comfort. Davis needs to know that he’s “the guy” going forward. Sink or swim, fish or cut bait. However, the scenario is best defined by Davis going to work every game; guesswork should be eliminated from his preparation. Davis is more than just Paul Skenes’ personal catcher. He deserves more than spotty work during any given week.
The Pirates need to know who the real Henry Davis is. They have 62 games to make this determination.  Joey Bart, whom the Pirates picked up at the beginning of the 2024 season, has fizzled in 2025.  In 61 games catching, Bart is hitting .232 and has struck out 63 times in 198 at-bats.  However you paint Bart’s season, it is a disappointment.
Bart’s a first-round draft selection like Davis but was the second overall pick by the San Francisco Giants in 2018. There were such high hopes for Bart at the start of this season, and with good reason.  In 2024, in 80 games, Bart slugged 13 home runs. He has one round-tripper in 2025, with 198 at-bats.
The fewer questions to be answered in spring training, the better. Starting now, addressing the catching situation by management should be a priority.  If Davis is given an opportunity to be the starter the rest of the season, and he develops to a level all had hoped, then Bart could be dealt.  If Davis fails to raise his hitting during the next two months, it could then be time for the Pirates to end their relationship with him.
The Pirates owe it to Davis to get a shot at letting the Pirates know what he can do, behind the plate and at the plate.