Marcell Ozuna Question Looms With Pirates Prospect Decision
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As the Pittsburgh Pirates open a three-game weekend series against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre, there will be a fresh face arriving in the visiting clubhouse. Outfielder and first baseman Esmerlyn Valdez, the organization’s No. 9 ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline, was promoted Thursday evening and is expected to make his major league debut sometime during the series.
The 22-year-old right-handed hitter joins a Pirates lineup in need of a spark at the designated hitter spot, where veteran Marcell Ozuna has struggled through the season’s first two months. According to Baseball Reference's leaderboards, the Pirates have a -1.2 Wins Above Replacement value at the DH spot this season, last in MLB.
Before his call-up, Valdez was in the midst of another eye-opening campaign in the minor leagues, this year at Triple-A with the Indianapolis Indians. Across 46 games, he hit .253 with a .381 on-base percentage and an .887 OPS. More notably, he launched 10 home runs and added 10 doubles while driving in 29 runs.
The power surge has been particularly pronounced in recent weeks. Valdez has hit six of those home runs this month alone, including a stretch of five homers in five games that forced the Pirates’ hand. His 10 homers lead the Indianapolis club.
60-Grade Power
Valdez (listed at 6-foot-2, 234 pounds) possesses what MLB Pipeline grades as a 60-grade power tool on the 20-80 scouting scale—well above average. That raw strength has translated at every minor league stop. Over the last three seasons combined, Valdez has blasted 58 home runs, including 22 at Single-A Bradenton in 2024 and 26 between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona last year. He also participated in last year's Arizona Fall League's Home Run Derby.
His power is not merely of the pull-side variety. The statistical results of the past two seasons highlight his ability to drive the ball out to all fields, with a particularly explosive lower-half generating easy loft. His hardest-hit home run this season registered at over 112 miles per hour off the bat.
Equally encouraging for the Pirates is Valdez’s improved plate discipline in 2026. Despite 41 strikeouts, he has drawn 33 walks, ranking among the International League leaders in free passes. That .381 on-base percentage suggests a hitter learning to wait for pitches he can drive rather than expanding the zone, a critical adjustment for translating power to the major league level.
Defensive Versatility and Playing Time Outlook
Defensively, Valdez has experience in both corner outfield spots, making 34 starts in right field and 11 in left for Indianapolis this season. He has also logged limited reps at first base in the past, though the Pirates have primarily deployed him as an outfielder.
He joins fellow prospect Jhostynxon Garcia, who was called up earlier this week, as the Pirates cycle through young options following Ryan O’Hearn’s placement on the injured list with a right quad strain.
The Ozuna Question Looming
The backdrop to Valdez’s arrival is the continued struggles of Marcell Ozuna. Through 40 games this season, the 35-year-old designated hitter is batting .179 with a .275 on-base percentage and .305 slugging percentage. He has just five home runs and 16 RBIs in 151 at-bats, producing a -0.7 WAR.
Ozuna’s underlying metrics have trended in the wrong direction. His hard-hit rate has plummeted from the 96th percentile in 2024 to the 38th percentile this season, while his average exit velocity is at a career-low since Statcast began tracking. Former MLB general manager Jim Bowden recently labeled the three-time All-Star as a potential “release candidate at some point this season,” noting that Ozuna’s slugging percentage has declined sharply over the past three years.
Recently, Ozuna's poor decison-making with ABS challenges has drawn the ire of fans on the internet. In Thursday's game against the Cardinals, Ozuna used and lost a challenge on a first pitch strike call in the second inning. It was a notably early and unimpactful time to use the challenge.
The Pirates have already begun reducing Ozuna’s playing time against right-handed pitching. If Valdez hits in his initial major league exposure—beginning with this weekend’s series in Toronto—the organization could face an increasingly urgent question: Is it time to turn the designated hitter spot over to a the 22-year-old with the 60-grade power and move on from the veteran?
Would it make more sense to have a platoon of DHs with Bryan Reynolds, O'Hearn, Garcia and Valdez all having opportunities? These are a few of the questions that the Pirates may have to eventually answer this summer.
The Toronto Series as a Stage
Valdez is expected to join the Pirates in time for Friday’s series opener against the Blue Jays. Rogers Centre’s hitter-friendly dimensions and artificial turf could provide an ideal backdrop for a power hitter’s debut.
For a Pirates team seeking offensive consistency, the Valdez promotion represents more than just a September preview in May. It may signal the beginning of a changing of the guard at a premium offensive position, a decision that could define Pittsburgh’s lineup for the remainder of the season.
Key Stats
- Impatient Pirating: 14 walks for batters is 26th in MLB over last seven days
- Plucky Pitching: 2.63 ERA for Blue Jays is fifth best in MLB over last seven days
- The Pirates and Blue Jays have met a total of 27 times. The Blue Jays lead the series 17-10.
Probable Pitchers & Matchups
Game 1: May 22, 7:07 PM at Rogers Centre
- PIT: RHP Bubba Chandler (1-5, 5.14 ERA, 36 K)
- TOR: RHP Kevin Gausman (3-3, 3.45 ERA, 53 K)
- Key Battle: Gausman vs Pirates 2B Brandon Lowe (.182 AVG, .818 OPS, 1 HR, 2 RBI in 11 career AB against Gausman)
Game 2: May 23, 3:07 PM at Rogers Centre
- PIT: RHP Paul Skenes (6-3, 2.62 ERA, 63 K)
- TOR: LHP Patrick Corbin (1-1, 4.23 ERA, 25 K)
- Key Battle: Corbin vs Pirates DH Marcell Ozuna (2 HR, 7 RBI in 40 career AB against Corbin)
Game 3: May 24, 12:15 PM at Rogers Centre
- PIT: RHP Mitch Keller (4-2, 3.86 ERA, 41 K)
- TOR: RHP Dylan Cease (3-2, 2.98 ERA, 84 K)
- Key Battle: Cease vs Pirates 2B Brandon Lowe (.417 AVG, 1.583 OPS, 2 HR, 4 RBI in 12 career AB against Cease)
Players to Watch
- SP Paul Skenes (PIT): Allowed a career-high five earned runs in last start against Philadelphia
- 2B Brandon Lowe (PIT): .308/.333/.731, 8 H, 2 2B, 3 HR, 4 RBI over last seven days
- OF Daulton Varsho (TOR): .423 AVG, 11 H, 4 2B, 1 3B, 3 RBI over last seven days
- SP Dylan Cease (TOR): 84 Ks is first in AL (5 IP, 5 ER, 9 K in last start against Yankees)
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Ethan Merrill is from Grand Rapids, MI, and brings with him a diverse background of experiences. After graduating from Michigan State University with a degree in journalism, he worked with the Arizona Diamondbacks for three seasons before settling in the Pittsburgh area in 2020. With a passion for sports and a growing connection to his community, Ethan brings a fresh perspective to covering the Pittsburgh Pirates.