The Pittsburgh Pirates recently promoted top prospect Murf Gray from High-A Greensboro to Double-A Altoona. Gray was demolishing the baseball at Greensboro the same way he did at A-Ball Bradenton to start the year. The Pirates’ next big promotion should be another player who is still currently stationed at Greensboro: catcher Easton Carmichael.
Carmichael was the Pirates’ third-round pick last year, their next pick after Gray. Hailing from the University of Oklahoma, Carmichael showed off a wide variety of skills in his final season. He batted .329/.398/.613 with a 118 wRC+. Carmichael hit 17 home runs and went 14-for-19 in stolen base attempts. He only struck out 15.7% of the time, and walked at a 9.7% clip.
Carmichael struggled over 14 games at Greensboro late in 2025, but has since taken off in 2026. He is slashing .307/.352/.523 with a .382 wOBA and 116 wRC+ over his first 310 plate appearances of 2026. He is showing off some power, with 15 home runs and a .216 isolated slugging percentage. He is also one of the more aggressive baserunners among catchers, with 11 swipes in 14 attempts. Currently, he is one of just ten minor league backstops with double-digit homers and stolen bases. While he is only walking at a 6.8% clip, he is striking out less than 20% of the time, with an 18.4% K%. Carmichael is showing off good plate discipline as well. He is making contact at a healthy 76.8% rate. His swinging strike rate is just 11.9%, and his called strike rate sits at 12.7%. That puts his CSW% under 25% (24.6%).
Carmichael also is not benefiting from Greensboro’s hitter-friendly environment. At home, the young backstop owns a .290/.331/.516 triple-slash (.847 OPS). However, he is hitting better on the road, with a .326/.375/.530 slash line.905 OPS). Carmichael has hit especially well recently. Since the start of June, he owns a .342 batting average, .938 OPS, a .409 wOBA, and 132 wRC+.
Carmichael has already risen to become one of the Pirates’ best prospects. Baseball America’s most recent rankings list him as the Pirates’ tenth best prospect. Moving him up to Altoona could dramatically improve his ranking. Double-A is usually the biggest test for prospects in the minor leagues. Carmichael hitting well there will easily put him into conversation as one of the Pirates’ best future backstop options.
Carmichael will also find regular playing time at Altoona. Currently, Derek Berg and Samuel Escudero are listed as the Curve’s catchers. Neither is a top prospect, and Carmichael would earn priority over them. There are also plenty of DH plate appearances available. The Curve currently have the fourth-worst OPS (.732) and the third-fewest runs scored (400) among the dozen Eastern League teams.
There isn’t much left for Carmichael to prove at High-A Greensboro. He’s hit very well and is ripping the cover off the ball since the start of summer. His plate discipline has also been excellent. With the Pirates already promoting his teammate and fellow 2025 draft pick Murf Gray to Double-A Altoona, it’s time they do the same with Carmichael soon after the All-Star break.
