On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Pirates were able to salvage a trip north of the border, winning the final of a three-game series in Toronto 4-1.
While both the starting pitcher (Mitch Keller) and bullpen had a rare day of excelling in unison, Pittsburgh’s win was powered in part by the first big-league home run for 22-year-old Esmerlyn Valdez.
In the top of the sixth, with a runner on first base, Valdez drilled a sweeper 345 feet into the opposite field and over the right-field wall. Not a bad way to record your first big-league hit.
Valdez is now 1-for-8 in his very young major-league career, with two RBI and a walk, which he drew in his debut game on Friday, May 22nd.
That debut was the culmination of one of the crazier surges through the farm system you’ll see. Exactly one year prior to his debut, Valdez was slugging it in High-A Greensboro, a full three levels below the Pirates and the major leagues. He was a power-hitting prospect for the Grasshoppers, but a majority of the fan base still had very little, if any, knowledge on the kid.
Such a fast ascension to the major leagues is rare. Just for reference, of the 12 other players who appeared in that Grasshoppers vs Asheville Tourists, only one other player has made it to the major leagues: right-handed reliever Brandan Bidois, whose development is amazing in its own right.
One other player, righty starter Antwone Kelly, has made it to Triple-A. Eight have only advanced one level to Double-A Altoona; two others are still in Greensboro with the Grasshoppers.
The evolution of Valdez is one of the best development stories coming out of the Pirates organization in quite some time. An international free agent signing back in January of 2021, Valdez progressed through the minor leagues at about the pace one would expect.
He played in his native Dominican Republic during the 2021 season in the Dominican Summer League, before jumping over to the States to play in the Florida Complex League in 2022. Valdez got a taste of Low-A action at the end of the 2023 season in Bradenton before spending all of the 2024 season with the Marauders.
At 20, he was just about a year under the average age in Low-A baseball. He slashed .226/.352/.464 (.815 OPS) with 22 home runs and 67 RBI in Bradenton. He had some serious pop in his bat, sure, but he wasn’t seen as a prospect who was fast-tracking his way through the farm system.
Coming into 2025, he wasn’t even in MLB Pipeline’s Top 30 for the Pirates, while names like Termarr Johnson, Nick Yorke, and Billy Cook (all names he has currently surpassed) ranked well above him.
Valdez took that decision into his own hands, forcing his way higher and higher up the rungs of minor league ball. Since 2025, this guy has raked in every league and every level he has played in. And at every new level, he’s shown a new side to his game.
After opening last year in High-A Greensboro, Valdez slashed .303/.385/.592 (.977 OPS) with 20 home runs and 57 RBI. His time in a Grasshoppers uniform went a long way in showing he was more than just a feast-or-famine batter. A .303 batting average was fourth-best in Greensboro and was far and away a personal-best for Valdez.
Midway through the season, he was promoted to Double-A Altoona, where he joined a Curve team that featured far less offense than Greensboro. Last season, the Grasshoppers had a team OPS of .751, while Altoona had just .664. Valdez’s production did slip as well as he adjusted to new pitching, but he still managed to slash .260/.363/.409 (.772 OPS), an OPS good enough for fourth.
This year, he started in Triple-A Indianapolis, where he was able to showcase his power as well as his eye. He slashed .253/.381/.506 (.887 OPS) with ten home runs, ten doubles, and 29 RBI in 46 games. But he also was able to massively close the gap between walks and strikeouts. His 41 Ks to 33 free passes was by far his best ratio as a pro.
Valdez’s power and patience were both a continuation of what he showed off in the Arizona Fall League, after he smacked eight homers in 19 games and drew 19 walks to 12 strikeouts.
His explosion onto the scene finally rocketed him all the way up to nine on MLB Pipeline, and launching five home runs in his last five games in Indianapolis helped him earn the call all the way up to the Pirates. What a difference a year makes.
And if Valdez can stick around long term, he will represent a rare member of the major league roster who was developed entirely in Pittsburgh’s system.
Yes, some of the mainstays like Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz spent very minimal time in other organizations, but only five of the 13 active position players came up entirely through the Pirate system: Valdez, Nick Gonzales, Henry Davis, Konnor Griffin, and Jared Triolo. Valdez is the only primary outfielder on that list.
And of that group, how many of those players would most fans consider offensive successes? At most, it’s two.
Griffin is about as physically gifted as an athlete could be and it’s no surprise that the ninth overall pick from 2024 is putting it all together in the major leagues. That’s the easy one.
Gonzales is hitting an impressive .308 with 21 RBI, but has no homers and is a career .683 OPS batter in the bigs. He’s one of the more polarizing figures on the roster and his “success” is more up for interpretation. Triolo and Davis, meanwhile, have infamously struggled at the plate.
If Valdez can actually contribute, that’s not just a welcome addition to the Pirates in 2026, it’s proof that the Pirates can develop more than just pitchers.
Fifth Avenue Sports 
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