{"id":124483,"date":"2026-06-26T02:36:59","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T06:36:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/?p=124483"},"modified":"2026-06-26T02:36:59","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T06:36:59","slug":"esmerlyn-valdez-horwitz-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/baseball\/2026\/06\/26\/esmerlyn-valdez-horwitz-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Spencer Horwitz Injury Opens the Door for Pirates Prospect"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Pittsburgh Pirates have suffered yet another unfortunate injury. First baseman Spencer Horwitz recently landed on the 10-day injured list<\/a> with a hamstring strain. Losing Horwitz is a large blow to the Pirates\u2019 lineup. He has been a key figure in their starting nine since 2025. However, while the Pirates will miss Horwitz, it does open the door for top prospect Esmerlyn Vald\u00e9z<\/a> to get a chance at the big-league level.<\/p>\n

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Esmerlyn Vald\u00e9z May Get His Chance with the Pirates<\/h2>\n

Quick Ascent Through the Minor Leagues<\/h3>\n

Vald\u00e9z moved up the minor leagues at a quick and steady pace. In just his age-21 season last year, he put up a 125 wRC+ over 51 games at Double-A Altoona. He was the 15th youngest Double-A position player to appear in at least 50 contests. Vald\u00e9z, in just his age-22 season, started 2026 at Triple-A Indianapolis and ripped the cover off the ball.<\/p>\n

The young outfielder batted .255\/.388\/.526 through 237 plate appearances. Known for his power, he hit 13 home runs with a .271 isolated slugging percentage. That ranks as the 13th best ISO among Triple-A batters with at least 200 plate appearances so far this year. Vald\u00e9z\u2019s 17.3% walk rate was also among the highest, coming in as the 11th best. He also lowered his K% down from 24.6% last year between High-A and Double-A, to 21.5% this year at Indy. Overall, he had a .401 wOBA and 138 wRC+ at Indianapolis.<\/p>\n

Vald\u00e9z was not running into any bad luck, either. He was the only Triple-A hitter with an xwOBA over .400, coming in at .404. His 14.8% barrel rate was also the tenth best. Vald\u00e9z\u2019s exit velocity also clocked in at a strong 90.4 MPH clip. However, the biggest weakness in his game was his 30.1% whiff percentage. But there\u2019s no question that when he makes contact, he does damage.<\/p>\n

Promising Major League Metrics<\/h3>\n

Vald\u00e9z has had two major league stints<\/a> in 2026, and his raw stuff has translated well into the major leagues. It\u2019s only been 32 plate appearances, but exit velocity comes in at 93.6 MPH. Not only does he generate plenty of raw strength from his sturdy 6\u20192\u201d, 234-pound build, but his swing speed comes in at 74.7 MPH. For reference, Shohei Ohtani<\/a> and Cal Raleigh<\/a> also have the same swing speed this year. Vald\u00e9z only has five hits, but four have gone for extra bases (two doubles, two home runs). He has also made good swing decisions. His chase rate comes in at 26.1%. He also isn\u2019t overly patient. His 69.7% in-zone swing rate is higher than the league average rate.<\/p>\n

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Esmerlyn Valdez has such easy power \ud83e\ude84<\/p>\n

He’s going to be so so so good<\/p>\n

102.7 MPH double, 79.4 MPH bat speed, .540 xBA pic.twitter.com\/Zo7AdEIKr4<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Platinum Key (@PlatinumKey13) June 25, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n