Richard Ramirez, C, Pittsburgh Pirates (High-A Greensboro)
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that there’s a promising but perhaps flawed catching prospect in the Pittsburgh system. He’s 20 years old and played most of the season at Low-A Bradenton, but earned an August promotion to finish out the season with Greensboro. His zone-contact rate against Florida State League pitching could’ve been better, and he chases a lot, but the exit velos are already big-league caliber. This describes Ramirez, yes, but it also describes Axiel Plaz one calendar year ago, a player who I would argue has indeed “broken out” during the intervening period. There are differences in the profiles, to be sure—Ramirez’s EVs hover around the MLB average, while Plaz’s sat significantly above, and the latter’s fast hands make him more explosive at the dish. But Ramirez grades out better behind it, per BP’s metrics, and he’s far from soft astride the plate. The Venezuelan used a hefty swing to hit .268/.329/.525 with 17 homers in 328 FSL PAs, though he did scuffle in his short Sally League stint (by this point, you can probably guess another player in a similar scenario who this applied to). Plaz and Easton Carmichael have given the Pirates two legit power-hitting catcher prospects in 2026, and Ramirez will look to make it three come 2027. —Ben Spanier