Pirates call up red-hot prospect Esmerlyn Valdez, start him in right field at Toronto

Updated May. 22, 2026 10:45 p.m. ET

Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — The Pittsburgh Pirates recalled prospect Esmerlyn Valdez from Triple-A Indianapolis after a recent hot streak and had him in the lineup in right field Friday night for their game at Toronto.

Valdez was 0 for 3 with a groundout, two strikeouts and a walk in his major league debut, a 6-2 Pirates loss.

Valdez, 22, hit five home runs in the last five Triple-A games and was batting .355 with seven extra-base hits, 10 RBIs, a .903 slugging percentage and 1.315 OPS in his last eight.

Valdez hit .253 with 10 homers, 10 doubles and 29 RBIs in 46 games with Indianapolis this season. He also has 33 walks.

The right-handed hitter is the organization's No. 9 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He led Pittsburgh’s minor league system with 26 home runs last season and represented the club at the All-Star Futures Game.

Valdez was signed by Pittsburgh as a nondrafted free agent on Jan. 15, 2021.

Pittsburgh optioned outfielder Billy Cook to Indianapolis following Thursday’s game at St. Louis.

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