Esmerlyn Valdez - MLB News, Rumors, & Updates | FOX Sports

3 Pirates prospects most likely to be poached in Rule 5 Draft The Pittsburgh Pirates basically detonated their own 40-man roster to protect six Rule 5-eligible prospects — Esmerlyn Valdez, Wilber Dotel,...

DECEMBER 9 • RUMBUNTER.COM

Pirates lose underrated reliever prospect to Giants in sneaky signing The Pirates had a very exciting farm system in 2025, seeing Konnor Griffin blossom into a future star, Esmerlyn Valdez turn into a top slugg...

NOVEMBER 23 • RUMBUNTER.COM

Added to 40-man The Pirates selected Valdez's contract from Double-A Altoona on Tuesday, Francys Romero of BeisbolFR.com reports.

Impact Valdez split his time between High-A and Double-A ball in 2025, slashing .284/.375/.521 with 27 homers, 87 RBI and 76 runs scored between the two levels. His impressive performance will grant him a place on Pittsburgh's 40-man roster heading into the 2026 campaign, but he's likely to begin the year at Double-A Altoona or Triple-A Indianapolis.

NOVEMBER 18 • ROTOWIRE

Pirates keep dodging the one decision fans are begging for Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Esmerlyn Valdez, who surged in 2025 with emerging power and better contact quality, sits squarely in the Rule 5...

NOVEMBER 13 • RUMBUNTER.COM

Bumped to Double-A Valdez is batting .182 with zero home runs and an 8:4 K:BB in 10 games since getting promoted from High-A Greensboro to Double-A Altoona on July 1.

Impact A righty-hitting corner bat who won't offer much defensive value, Valdez slashed .303/.385/.592 with 20 home runs, a 9.9 percent walk rate and a 24.5 percent strikeout rate in 72 games at High-A prior to his promotion. His 172 wRC+ ranks second among all qualified High-A hitters, behind Josue Briceno (180 wRC+). As a 21-year-old bat-first player, Valdez will be expected to do plenty of damage at Double-A over the rest of the season.

JULY 22 • ROTOWIRE

Pirates Pipeline: The different paths Konnor Griffin and Esmerlyn Valdez took to the 2025 Futures Game On July 12, baseball’s top prospects will be in Atlanta, representing their organizations in the 2025 MLB Futures Game. The hope is that in...

JULY 6 • POST-GAZETTE.COM