Esmerlyn Valdéz

Esmerlyn Valdéz (The Magician)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 234 lb.

• Debut May 22, 2026

• Born January 7, 2004 in San Juan de la Maguana, San Juan D.R.

BR page

Biographical Information

Outfielder Esmerlyn Valdéz was signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international amateur free agent on January 15, 2021. He stayed in his native Dominican Republic that year as he played for the DSL Pirates Gold, batting .248 with 5 homers and 21 RBIs in 45 games.

He moved to the United States in 2022 when he played for the FCL Pirates, batting .232 in 33 games. He repeated the level in 2023, this time with more success: in 40 games, he batted .312 with 6 homers and 32 RBIs; he was named the league's Player of the Week once and its Player of the Month in July. On August 31st, he was given a promotion to the Bradenton Marauders of the Florida State League, playing another 8 games there and batting .250. After the season, he played winter ball in the Colombian League.

In 2024, Esmerlyn spent a full season with Bradenton, playing 107 games with a slash line of .226/.352/.464. He slugged 22 homers and drove in 61 runs in the pitcher-friendly league, leading the circuit in homers and finishing third in RBIs. That earned him a spot on the league's post-season All-Star team. In 2025, he started the year with the Greensboro Grasshoppers of the South Atlantic League and on July 1st earned another promotion, this one to the Altoona Curve of the AA Eastern League, just before being named to the National League team for the 2025 Futures Game. In 123 games between the two stops, he batted .286/.376/.520 homers and 86 RBIs. After the season, he was named the Player of the Year in the Sally League, as well as a post-season All-Star.

He started the 2026 season in AAA with the Indianapolis Indians and was hitting .253 after 46 games, with 10 homers and 29 RBIs. He was called up to Pittsburgh on May 22nd and made his debut starting in right field against the Toronto Blue Jays. He hit his first big league homer in the final game of that series on May 24th, a two-run shot to right field in a 4-1 win at the Rogers Centre; it was also his first big league hit as he finished the three-game series 1 for 8.

Notable Achievements

• 2025 MVP South Atlantic League Greensboro Grasshoppers

Further Reading

• Zach Worden: "Young fan drives hard bargain returning milestone HR ball", mlb.com, May 24, 2026. [1]

Related Sites

• Esmerlyn Valdez on mlb.com
• BR Minors page