The Pittsburgh Pirates have lost some very key pieces to their lineup in June. Oneil Cruz hit the injured list on the 10th with metacarpal fractures. First baseman Spencer Horwitz hit the IL two weeks later with a left hamstring injury. They were also without star rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin for a good portion of the month. However, the Pirates have luckily found a way to fill the void left by their injured players. Young outfield slugger Esmerlyn Valdez has become exactly what the Pirates needed and has more than earned an opportunity in the Major Leagues.
Esmerlyn Valdez Is Exactly What the Pirates Need Right Now
Valdez is batting an astonishing .286/.360/.778 with a .471 wOBA and a 202 wRC+ over his first 50 MLB plate appearances. He already has six home runs, four doubles, and a .489 isolated slugging percentage. His barrel rate in this small sample size is 38.5%. For reference, 52 qualified MLB hitters have a lower hard-hit rate than Valdez’s barrel percentage. His 95.5 MPH exit velocity is also the second best in baseball among batters with at least 50 plate appearances. Only fellow teammate Oneil Cruz surpasses him in this regard.
At the time of writing this, Valdez has gone yard in four straight games. He is just the sixth player in the modern era to accomplish this within their first 16 games. Valdez is also the first player since Yordan Alvarez in 2019 with an OPS over 1.000, with 5+ homers in their age-22 or younger season through their first 15 games.
The last two players age-22 or younger to hit 5+ HR with an OPS over 1.000 in their first 15 games in MLB:
2019 Yordan Alvarez
2026 Esmerlyn Valdéz 🏴☠️Valdéz has provided an immediate spark to the Pirates’ lineup! pic.twitter.com/0Gzk7awy9f
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) June 29, 2026
Clutch Hitting When the Pirates Need It the Most
The biggest thing Valdez has provided the Pirates is some clutch hitting, something they also despratley needed. The Pirates, as a team, are hitting a combined .239/.326/.359 in high-leverage situations. Their triple-slash with runners in scoring position is .252/.339/.395. However, Valdez already has two hits, one walk, and only one strikeout over eight high-leverage plate appearances. He also has two home runs and a double with only a single K over 11 plate appearances with RISP. His WPA (win percentage added) comes in at 0.67 already.
Up And Coming Power Prospect
While Valdez’s power output is astounding, it was not completely unexpected. Valdez broke onto the prospect scene in 2024 with a 22-homer campaign over 435 plate appearances at A-Ball Bradenton at just 20 years old. His .237 isolated slugging percentage was the third best among A-Ball batters with at least 300 plate appearances. Valdez was one of just two A-Ball batters with at least 20 home runs in ‘24 as well.
He followed that up with an even more powerful campaign in 2025. Valdez went yard 26 times over 529 plate appearances, this time between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona. He kept up a near-identical .234 isolated slugging percentage last season, compared to 2024. It was the seventh-best mark among all minor league hitters with at least 500 plate appearances. Only 18 minor league hitters in total in 2025 had at least 25 home runs. Of those 13, only three had a wRC+ of 150 or greater. Valdez posted a 155 wRC+ last year and was one of said three.
Valdez only continued to rip apart minor league pitching when he reached Triple-A. He had 13 home runs over 237 plate appearances at Indianapolis this year. His barrel percentage clocked in at 14.7%. Valdez’s .271 isolated slugging percentage was the 12th best of any Triple-A batter with at least 200 plate appearances, and the ninth best among International League hitters (the league that the Indianapolis Indians play in).
Valdez has more than earned a longer look in MLB. He is utterly crushing the ball with the Pirates. The top prospect is providing a spark when the Bucs need it the most after losing key players to injuries. Even if it’s unlikely he sustains a wRC+ over 200, there’s still a good chance he remains a very productive batter throughout the second half of this season. Once injured players start returning, the Pirates’ lineup could look even more fierce down the stretch.
Main Photo Credits: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
