One thing was very clear when the Pittsburgh Pirates announced their roster of prospects heading to the Arizona Fall League: They were prioritizing players with serious power.
Top prospect Esmerlyn Valdez was the most notable figure of the bench, as his 26 home runs and .520 slugging percentage this season can attest. Likewise, Axiel Plaz (10 home runs, .414 SLG) and Tony Blanco Jr. (eight home runs in 30 games) showed off their pop in 2025.
Th decision to send those guys to the AFL makes sense, seeing as the major league team was about as effective as a little league squad in terms of power production in 2025.