Pirates Rookie Esmerlyn Valdez Hits Four Home Runs in Four Days After Earlier Demotion

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Esmerlyn Valdez hit four home runs in four consecutive days ending June 29, Forbes reported. 524 average over his most recent six games. 289 average, six home runs and 12 RBI.

Pirates manager Don Kelly said Valdez is not solely focused on power. “I think he’s a good hitter. 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,” Kelly told reporters.

Valdez recorded his first two MLB hits as home runs after a late-May call-up but managed only two hits in 16 at-bats across five games and was returned to Triple-A Indianapolis. 083 average with 12 strikeouts before the recent surge. Valdez became the third Pirates rookie to hit home runs in four straight games, joining Dick Stuart and Garrett Jones.

293 average. Valdez signed with the Pirates for $130,000 out of the Dominican Republic at age 17 in 2021. 368 with eight home runs and 27 RBI in 19 games in the 2025 Arizona Fall League.

The Pirates hold a 43-42 record, 9½ games behind the Milwaukee Brewers and two games out of a playoff position at the midpoint of the 2026 season.