{{player.name}}

2026 Fantasy Baseball Player Profile

Joey Bart’s 2025 season was a study in extreme plate discipline and frustrating power regression. After a 2024 "breakout" that saw him blast 13 home runs in just 80 games, his power nearly vanished in 2025; he finished with just four home runs and a .340 slugging percentage across 93 games. However, he transformed into a walking machine, leading the Pirates with a .355 on-base percentage despite a .249 average. This "Plate Discipline God" evolution (as coined by FanGraphs) was fueled by a career-high 14% walk rate and a massive reduction in his chase rate. Unfortunately, his season was plagued by health issues, including a left thumb injury, a concussion, a hamstring strain, and a late-season wrist ailment that kept him from ever finding a consistent rhythm.

Entering 2026, Bart remains with the Pirates after signing a one-year, $2.53 million deal in January to avoid arbitration. The narrative in Bradenton this spring is one of positional survival. While he is currently competing for the backup catcher role, his defensive metrics—specifically a 26-50 record and 4.73 catcher's ERA—have fallen behind Henry Davis, who has solidified himself as Paul Skenes’ personal catcher. To keep his bat in the lineup, the Pirates have been experimenting with Bart at Designated Hitter and even giving him looks at first base. His elite .891 OPS against left-handed pitching remains his primary ticket to playing time in a lineup that has become increasingly left-handed.