PHILADELPHIA: Esmerlyn Valdez of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a two run home run against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 29, 2026. It was his fourth homer in four games. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
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“The Magician” has turned an ordinary baseball bat into quite a magic wand for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
It has produced four home runs in four days, six in his first 16 games in Major League Baseball. Pirates rookie Esmerlyn Valdez is living up to his nickname.
“I think he’s a good hitter,” Pirates manager Don Kelly told reporters this weekend. “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.”
The 22-year-old slugger’s first two career hits were home runs shortly after he was called up from the minors in late May. They were his only hits in 16 at bats over five games, however, and he was sent back to Triple-A Indianapolis.
Called back up in mid-June, he soon had six times as a many strikeouts (12) than hits and an .083 average for his short career. In six games since, he has gone 11-for-21 (.524) to put his career average at .289 with six homers and 12 RBI.
SCOTTSDALE, AZ: Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Esmerlyn Valdez of the Salt River Rafters takes a lead off second base during an Arizona Fall League game against the Scottsdale Scorpions at Scottsdale Stadium on Nov. 1, 2025. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)
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Valdez made quite an impression with a similar power outburst in the 2025 Arizona Fall League when he hit .368 with 8 homers and 27 RBI in 19 games.
Valdez has made adjustments to his training routine and approach at the plate in the past three years. Signed for $130,000 out of the Dominican Republic at age 17 in 2021, he did not make much impact until 2024.
Now, he’s among the Pirates’ top young players, according to MLB Pipeline and other evaluators.
Bucco Bashers
Valdez is the third Pirates slugger to go deep in four straight games as a rookie, joining Dick Stuart and Garrett Jones.
Stuart signed at age 18 for $10,000 in 1951. He was 25 years old and already a minor-league legend when called up in mid-July of 1958. Despite missing the 1953 and 1954 seasons serving in the U.S. Army, his minor-league power stats were astounding:
- 1952: 31 homers, 121 RBI.
- 1955: 32 homers, 107 RBI.
- 1956: 66 homers, 158 RBI.
- 1957: 45 homers, 122 RBI.
- 1958: 31 homers, 82 RBI in 80 games.
PITTSBURGH: Dick Stuart of the Pittsburgh Pirates between New York Yankees sluggers Mickey Mantle (left) and Roger Maris (right) before the start of the 1960 World Series.
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The 6-foot-4 muscleman’s career rise often was stymied by his poor defense. He was tried at third base, the outfield and first base. He eventually earned the nickname “Dr. Strangeglove” as he made more errors than anybody at first base for each of his first seven seasons in the majors.
Like Valdez, Stuart’s first two MLB hits were homers. He belted five in a four-game stretch in mid-August ’58 and finished with 16 homers and 48 RBI in 67 games. Added to his totals at Triple-A Salt Lake City, Stuart had 47 homers and 128 RBI in 147 games.
Stuart was a prime performer on the TV show “Home Run Derby”. He was a premier slugger until age 32, then played sporadically until 1969.
PITTSBURGH: Garrett Jones becomes the first Pittsburgh Pirates player to hit a home run directly into the Allegheny River during the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on June 2, 2013. (Photo by Vincent Pugliese/ Getty Images)
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Jones was 28 and had already played 31 games for the Minnesota Twins before his Pirates’ power surge in 2009 that featured five homers over four games in eight days. The 6-foot-5 lefty finished with 21 homers and his best single-season batting average of .293 that year.
Jones totaled 122 homers over parts of eight years in the majors. Drafted in the 14th round by the Atlanta Braves in 1999, he had the best career – by far – of any player selected at pick No. 444 in history.
Magic Future For Pittsburgh Pirates?
The Pirates’ record is 43-42. That’s heady stuff for a team that has not played .500 ball since going 82-69 in 2018, twice lost more than 100 games and finished 71-91 a year ago.
The problem has predominantly been a lack of hitting – once thought of as impossible for a franchise built upon great hitters such as Hall of Famers Honus Wagner, Arky Vaughn, Paul and Lloyd Waner, Pie Traynor, Ralph Kiner, Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell and Dave Parker.
A year ago, Pittsburgh was last in MLB in runs homers and RBI. This year, they rank third in runs and RBI, seventh in homers.
PITTSBURGH: Ryan O’Hearn celebrates his two run home run with Pittsburgh Pirates teammate Bryan Reynolds against the Tampa Bay Rays at PNC Park on April 18, 2026. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
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Off-season acquisitions Brandon Lowe (20 homers, 57 RBI) and Ryan O’Hearn (13 homers, 51 RBI) have helped a lot. Rookies Konnor Griffin and Valdez will be counted on to add to the offense in the second half of the 2026 season.
The Pirates are 9 1/2 games behind the National League Central Division leading Milwaukee Brewers – but only two games out of a playoff spot at the halfway point in the season.
The Pirates are proud of their young starting rotation, led by 2024 NL Rookie of the Year and 2025 NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes. Mitch Keller, Bubba Chandler, Braxton Ashcraft, Carmen Mlodzinski and Jared Jones give them five more good starters.
Valdez and the offense hold the magic key to a playoff spot. He’s not going to hit at a homer-a-game pace, but consistent offense from the big rookie could help the Pittsburgh Pirates go to the post-season in 2026.
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