Pirates rookie Valdez reaches 12 homers in 31 games

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning of Sunday's 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians, giving him 12 home runs and 31 RBIs in his first 31 major league games. The feat places him alongside three previous players who reached the same marks in their first 31 games.

Valdez, 22, was signed out of the Dominican Republic in 2021.

He batted .368 with eight home runs in the Arizona Fall League last fall and was added to the 40-man roster in November. He went 5 for 17 in spring training before starting the season at Triple-A Indianapolis. He made his major league debut May 22, appeared in five games, returned to Triple-A, and was recalled June 11.

370 with 18 extra-base hits and 27 RBIs in that span. He is the first Pirates hitter with an extra-base hit and RBI in seven straight games since 1971. His 20 RBIs in July lead the majors and make him the sixth Pittsburgh rookie since 2000 with at least 20 RBIs in a calendar month.

"It feels great for the start that I've had. I prepared - mentally and physically - for this season to achieve what I'm achieving today, and the results are showing," Valdez said through a translator.

teammate comments Manager Don Kelly said Valdez's power is not the only notable part of his game. "It's the professionalism of the at-bats. He's not going up there necessarily trying to hit the home runs. He's going up there to hit, and he's got the power to leave anywhere in the yard," Kelly said.

Pirates ace Paul Skenes noted Valdez's approach during spring training. "You see a lot of guys that can hit the ball really far and take big swings and hit the ball really hard, but you don't see guys very often that take big swings and hit the ball really hard, really far and not chase and put together as good at-bats as he does," Skenes said.