Edgleen Perez of the Bradenton Marauders. Provided photo.

In baseball, there is no relationship more important than that between the pitcher and the catcher. The pitcher is unabashedly the most crucial player on the field—the ability to get the opposing batters out is half of what decides the difference between a win and a loss. The catcher, however, makes a strong case for the second most important players on the field. It is the catcher that helps dictate the pace of the game, calling each and every pitch the pitcher throws, managing how the pitcher attacks the opposing offense. Together, the two positions make up what is known as the battery.

“When you have a catcher that you can tell cares for you and wants you to succeed, it’s huge,” says Levi Sterling, a right-handed pitcher for the Bradenton Marauders, the Single-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. “Then you have someone supporting you instead of just being alone out there on the mound. As a pitcher, you need to trust that the catcher knows what they’re doing—they’re scouting a lot of the hitters and they might know better than you about what pitches of yours are more effective against certain hitters.”

One of the catchers that Sterling has worked with this season is Edgleen Perez, a 20-year-old from Valencia, Venezuela. Although Perez’s season ended prematurely due to injury in August, the Pirates’ 8th-ranked prospect made a name for himself this season with both his glove and his bat, hitting .296 with 45 RBIs across 287 at-bats in 2026 and throwing out 21 of 66 stolen base attempts. “I worked hard on my receiving and arm strength this off-season,” says Perez. “At the plate, I’ve been working more into my back leg in my swing.”

While all fielders must balance hitting with defense, Perez and other catchers have a larger load to carry. Pre-game scouting and in-game management of the pitcher require complete focus. To be as effective as possible, Perez has worked on strengthening his mental approach to the game. “As a catcher, you have to separate quickly from hitting to playing defense,” he says. “I think I’ve done a good job of that, even when I lose an at-bat, in my mind I can zero back in on catching.”

Bradenton Marauders, LECOM Park, 1611 9th St West, Bradenton

Edgleen Perez of the Bradenton Marauders. Provided photo.

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