Esmerlyn Valdez Shows Pirates Why They Need His Bat Now
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have gotten production from numerous players in their lineup and right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez is that currently.
Valdez had his best series in the major leagues against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park this past weekend, June 26-28, showing off his power and the importance of his bat.
He hit a home run in each of the three games, with the rest of the Pirates hitting five total home runs during the series, while also hitting for contact as well.
It was a crucial series for Valdez, as he showed the Pirates that he is ready for whatever challenges he may face against MLB pitching.
Valdez Has Impressive Series vs. Reds
The Pirates started Valdez twice in the series against the Reds in right field and sixth in the batting order in the series opener on June 26 and the series finale on June 28.
Valdez hit a home run in the fourth inning of the series opener, which he smashed a 92.6 mph four-seam fastball up in the zone and sent 106.5 mph off the bat and 414 feet onto the left field rotunda, tying the game at 4-4. He would also single in the eighth inning of the 6-4 defeat.
The Pirates had Valdez pinch-hit in the eighth inning of the second game on June 27, with the score tied at 6-6.
Valdez hit off a first pitch, 91.4 four-seam fastball over the middle of the plate, that looked like it might be a fly out, but went 104.1 mph off the bat and 381 feet into the right field seats for an opposite field home run, putting the Pirates up 7-6.
He had his best game with the Pirates in the series finale, hitting an RBI-ground-rule double in the second inning, a single in the fifth inning, walking to leadoff the seventh inning and then hitting a solo home run after the hour long rain delay in the eighth inning.
Valdez sent his third home run 461 feet over the center field wall and it marked the seventh-longest home run by a Pirates player at PNC Park in the Statcast Era (Since 2015).
Valdez Taking Advantage of Opportunities
These recent starts for Valdez have come with Ryan O'Hearn moving full-time to first base, as first baseman Spencer Horwitz is out with a left hamstring injury.
Valdez and fellow rookie Tyler Callihan will split time in right field, with Valdez generally facing left-handed pitching as a right-handed batter, while Callihan takes on right-handed pitching as a left-handed batter.
He had previously not had the opportunities to get on the field in his second stint with the Pirates, with just three starts prior to Horwitz's injury and just five games played since that time.
“Taking advantage 100%," Valdez said about his time in right field. "I’m just going to continue to do the small things that’s going to help me out and continue to do my job.”
Valdez made his MLB debut back on May 22 and hit two home runs in his first five games in his first MLB stint, displaying the power that saw him rise up quickly through the Pirates farm system from the start of the 2025 season.
Pirates manager Don Kelly sees the work that Valdez put in with hitting coach Matt Hague and the rest of the hitting group and that while his power is his strength, he can hit for contact just as well.
“I think he's a good hitter. He's not just going up there trying to hit homers, he's a good hitter. He got out in front of the breaking ball, hit the ground-rule double, got the base hit up the middle, took the walk, and then when he gets a pitch out over the plate that he can drive, he certainly has the power to do that, but I just think he's overall a good hitter.”
The Pirates don't just have Horwitz out with, as center fielder Oneil Cruz is down in Florida rehabbing from a fractured left hand and won't return until after the All-Star break.
It can be a big ask of any rookie to produce in the absence of everyday starters, but Valdez is confident and ready for what the Pirates ask of him.
"It’s the work that I’ve been doing," Valdez said. "It’s reflecting in the game. I feel more confident when it comes to swinging the bat and my approach."
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.