What Can the Pirates Expect from Esmerlyn Valdez?
Before 2025, the Pirates system faced a significant issue: a lack of impactful hitting prospects.
Esmerlyn Valdez has emerged as a notable exception, coming out of nowhere as a slugging stud worth watching.
Under General Manager Ben Cherington, the Pirates have excelled at developing talented arms throughout the system.
However, until this season, they had not seen the same results with their offensive talent, with the majority of their top-end talent being on the mound.
This changed during the 2025 season, with their offensive prospects making significant leaps forward across the board.
One of the main positive takeaways from the time Ben Cherington has been the Pittsburgh Pirates' general manager has been the way they've developed talented arms all throughout the system.
Author's summary: Pirates' system improved with Esmerlyn Valdez.