Back to the Pittsburgh Pirates Newsfeed

Pirates breakout prospect has already earned Arizona Fall League honor

As the Pittsburgh Pirates front office gets to work this offseason on mapping out a sunnier future for the club under manager Don Kelly, it’s becoming impossible for Pittsburgh’s brass to ignore Esmerlyn Valdez. After taking a massive leap in 2025 that saw him make history in Double-A, Valdez has continued his dominance into October.

The 21-year-old outfield prospect for Pittsburgh has gotten off to a torrid start for the Salt River Rafters in the Arizona Fall League.

Esmerlyn Valdez is delighting Pirates fans with an explosive start in the Arizona Fall League

Valdez launched a 425-foot solo home run on October 7 in his Fall League debut.