Cincinnati Reds positional preview vs. NL Central: catcher

5. Jacob Stallings, Pittsburgh Pirates

Jacob Stallings played in just 71 games for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, but he’s the likely starter behind the plate for the Buccos this coming season. Stallings hit .262/.325/.382 with six home runs and 13 RBIs in 53 starts as the Pittsburgh backstop in 2019.

Stallings is basically a career minor leaguer with 513 games played and a career batting average of .253 in the minors. Stallings has just 95 big league games under his belt. However, if Pittsburgh is looking for an upgrade, it won’t come from its farm system. According to MLB Pipeline, the Pirates have no catchers among their Top 30 prospects.

4. Tucker Barnhart, Cincinnati Reds

Some Reds fans may feel that this is bit too low for Tucker Barnhart, but after a subpar 2019 campaign, it’s hard to rank the former Gold Glove winner any higher. Barnhart hit just .231/.328/.380 and missed some time in 2019 due to an oblique injury.

Barnhart’s slow start also allowed for Curt Casali to find some more playing time during the 2019 season. After being traded from the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018, Casali found a home as Tucker’s backup and eventually found himself in more of platoon situation with Barnhart.

The Reds also have Kyle Farmer on the active roster, but with the limited infield candidates available to backup Freddy Galvis at shortstop, he’s unlikely to see much time behind the plate. However, top catching prospect Tyler Stephenson may receive a September call-up or make his major league debut sooner if he continues to develop.