Pirates prospect watch: Greensboro's Esmerlyn Valdez pacing all of High-A in homers
Esmerlyn Valdez
Position: OF/1B
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 181 pounds
Level: High-A Greensboro
International free agent signings are often hit or miss.
In the case of young Latin American ballplayers who ink contracts with MLB clubs, it can be a slow burn to find out exactly what kind of skill set they bring.
Esmerlyn Valdez, now 21, fit that bill when the Pittsburgh Pirates signed him out of the Dominican Republic shortly before his 17th birthday.
Parts of three seasons playing rookie ball showcased a perfectly adequate prospect but nothing eye-popping.
Then, in 2024, Valdez was promoted to Low-A Bradenton and hit 22 homers.
He added 17 doubles and drove in 61 runs while hitting .226 but had a 37.1% strikeout rate.
This season, Valdez began the year a level up with High-A Greensboro, and his power continues to show.
So far, he’s significantly increased his batting average (.289), posting an on-base percentage of .366. His 14 homers, which lead all of High-A, have contributed to a .590 slugging percentage and .965 OPS.
He has 36 RBIs in 45 games and has collected 50 hits.
Strikeouts persist, but to Valdez’s credit, he’s slowed the rate to 29.4%.
He’s splitting time at first base and the corner outfield positions, with two total errors (one at first base and one in left field) for a combined fielding percentage of .986.
Justin Guerriero is a TribLive reporter covering the Penguins, Pirates and college sports. A Pittsburgh native, he is a Central Catholic and University of Colorado graduate. He joined the Trib in 2022 after covering the Colorado Buffaloes for Rivals and freelancing for the Denver Post. He can be reached at jguerriero@triblive.com.
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