Omar Alfonzo hit goal of playing more in 2024

Catching prospect played over 100 games in 2024 with Bradenton and Greensboro.

It wasn’t too long ago that the Pittsburgh Pirates had two of the top-catching prospects in baseball. They have both since graduated from prospect status and while they don’t have a top-100 prospect to take their place, Omar Alfonzo seems like a solid option to take up the ‘best catching prospect’ status in the organization.

His father, Eliezer Alfonzo, played parts of six seasons in the majors and spent over a decade in pro ball, also as a catcher.

Omar broke through to full-season ball last year and had two stints with the Bradenton Marauders in Single-A. The second stint went better than the first, driving in 23 runs in 27 games in August and September.

He began the year with Bradenton once again, playing in 86 games with the Marauders before getting promoted to Greensboro and getting an additional 24 regular season games, plus the playoffs, to close out the 2024 season.

As a younger catcher (he didn’t turn 21 until August), Alfonzo recognized one of the keys to development—availability.