Outfield prospect Esmerlyn Valdez is getting closer to his dream of reaching the big leagues with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Those dreams felt a little more real over the weekend when Valdez was in town for the annual PiratesFest at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center in Pittsburgh.
Valdez emerged through the Fort Pitt Tunnel to the breathtaking view of downtown Pittsburgh, which includes a glimpse of PNC Park.
“It’s amazing,” Valdez said of the view through coach/interpreter Stephen Morales. “Took a video, posted it on Twitter and I just visualize myself playing here at some point this year.”
For Valdez, the chances of reaching Pittsburgh in 2026 grew after a strong season in the minor leagues split between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona. In 72 games with the Grasshoppers to begin the season, Valdez slashed .303/.385/.592 with 18 doubles, a triples, 20 home runs and 57 RBI. He was named the 2025 South Atlantic League MVP.
The Pirates promoted him to Altoona on July 1 and he totaled 51 games with the Curve. Valdez, who turned 22 years old on Tuesday, had a .260/.363/.409 batting line with seven doubles, one triple, six home runs and 29 RBI after his promotion.
“I felt more prepared, ready and I felt like a man,” Valdez explained. “Like that stage of a grown man playing baseball in Double-A.”
But Valdez’s impressive showing didn’t conclude when Altoona’s season ended. The native of the Dominican Republic was one of a handful of Pirates’ prospects who participated in the Arizona Fall League in November.
Valdez lit the desert on fire with eight home runs and 27 RBI in 19 games in the AFL and finished with a .368/.513/.842 batting line en route to being named the AFL Hitter of the Year.
“It felt really good and I just went there with the mentality of earn trust, earn my spot and represent the Pirates really well,” he said of his perforamance.
It was during the AFL that Valdez became one step closer to the big leagues. In order to protect him from being selected by another team in the Rule 5 Draft, the Pirates added him to the 40-man roster.
Valdez knew it was coming.
“Simply, I was just playing PlayStation at home with my family and I already told the guys in the [Arizona] Fall League that I was going to expect that call playing video games,” he said.
Valdez said that he was playing MLB The Show when the call came, a game which has him as a member of Altoona’s roster.
If he continues at his current trajectory, it won’t be long before Valdez is able to use himself as a player on the Pirates the next time he fires up his game console.
But before he’s able to do that, Valdez knows he must stay present.
“Continue to work hard,” he said. “[It doesn’t matter]. Like I said, I’m on the 40-man roster. It’s just a mindset that I need to continue to work hard everyday just to earn my spot.”
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