The Pittsburgh Pirates could use some help behind the plate. Their minor league catching depth has some promising options, but nothing that will be ready for more than a year. While there is a chance Vahn Lackey falls to the Pirates in the draft at fifth overall, his outstanding 2026 college season may have raised his stock to a point where it is unlikely he falls to the Bucs. However, there is still a young catcher that may still be on the board for the Pirates during their Competitive Balance Round A pick in Daniel Jackson.
Jackson recently won the college Golden Spikes award after an outstanding season at the University of Georgia. He slashed .379/.473/.803 with a .521 wOBA, and 168 wRC+ over 319 plate appearances. Known for his power, Jackson slugged 32 home runs with a .424 isolated slugging percentage. However, he showed off impressive baserunning prowess for a catcher. He fell just shy of a 30/30 season, swiping 26 bags in 28 attempts. However, he still became the first D1 catcher to have a 25/25 season. Jackson also walked at a 13.8% rate, while striking out 20.1% of the time.
There’s no question Jackson has the raw power to hit home runs. He generates plenty of pop from his 6’2”, 200-LBS frame. He is also an extremely athletic catcher whose average speed plays up thanks to his baserunning. However, there are still some questions he’ll need to answer in pro ball. While he has the arm to play behind the plate, his overall ability will need fine-tuning. He’ll also need to show more ability to make contact. He struck out nearly a third of the time over 161 plate appearances in the Cape Cod League. However, his outstanding athleticism certainly leaves the door wide open for improvement in both areas of his game.
There is a chance he is available during the Pirates’ comp round A pick, which is the 34th overall pick. Baseball America ranks Jackson as the 37th best player in the draft, while MLB Pipeline ranks him as their 39th best draft prospect. BA recently released their 5.0 mock draft, and have the young backstop going 37th overall to the Colorado Rockies. MLB Pipeline’s most recent mock draft is slightly less bullish on Jackson falling to the 34th pick, projecting him to go 23rd overall to the Chicago Cubs. However, the possibility is still there.
The Pirates do have some interesting catching prospects. Easton Carmichael, Axiel Plaz, and Edgleen Perez have all had solid seasons. However, the first two are still at High-A Greensboro, and the last third is still at A-Ball Bradenton. The Pirates do have Rafael Flores Jr. on the 40-man roster, and he has looked solid in the Major Leagues, but that is only in a 22-plate-appearance sample size, and he has struggled at Triple-A.
While it’s not a good idea to draft for need in MLB, it’s hard to deny that Jackson would be one of the best players available when the Pirates are selecting 34th overall. While Jackson’s stock may rise with his recent Golden Spikes Award, he is worth keeping an eye on to see where he falls in the draft. Based on recent mock drafts and draft rankings, it’s definitely not out of the question that the Pirates can take him with their comp round A pick.
