The Atlanta Braves made a move to strengthen their catching depth Thursday night, acquiring former Buford High School standout Joey Bart from the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchange for right-handed pitcher Hunter Stratton.
For local baseball fans, the deal brings one of Buford’s most accomplished athletes back home.
Bart joins the Braves as a backup to catcher Drake Baldwin, while veteran Sandy León was sent back to the minor leagues. The move gives Atlanta a catcher with major league experience who can contribute both defensively and offensively.
“A clear move was made here,” Harrison Smajovits wrote for SI.com. “They went out and got a catcher who provided solid defense along with a stronger contribution on offense.”
Before landing on the injured list with a foot infection, Bart appeared in 21 games for Pittsburgh this season. He was batting .259 with a .290 on-base percentage and a .669 OPS.
Long before reaching the major leagues, Bart made a name for himself at Buford High School. A member of the Class of 2015, he spent four seasons playing for head coach Tony Wolfe and helped establish himself as one of the greatest players in program history.
As a senior, Bart batted .437 with 35 RBIs and finished his high school career as Buford’s all-time leader in hits, RBIs and runs scored.
His success continued at Georgia Tech, where he quickly became one of the top catchers in college baseball. During his three seasons with the Yellow Jackets, Bart earned numerous honors while batting .321 in 144 career games.
The San Francisco Giants selected Bart with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, making him the highest-drafted player in Georgia Tech baseball history at the time. He spent parts of six seasons in the Giants organization before being traded to Pittsburgh in 2024.
Now, after years of building his career on baseball’s biggest stage, Bart is headed back to Georgia. The former Buford star will have a chance to help a Braves team looking to add depth and experience as it pushes through the second half of the season.
