Pirates Promote Prospect Duo to Altoona

Valdez dominated at High-A this season, playing as one of the best prospects in the South Atlantic League. He slashed .303/.385/.592 for an OPS of .977 in 72 games, with 84 hits, 18 doubles, one triple, 20 home runs, 57 RBIs and 31 walks to his 77 strikeouts in Greensboro.

Valdez led the South Atlantic League in a number of categories, including hits, home runs, RBIs, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS, plus ranking tied for first in doubles and 11th in on-base percentage.

The Pirates singed Valdez to a minor league contract on Jan. 15, 2021 as an international signing from the Dominican Republic.

He played with the Dominican Summer League Pirates, before progressing to the Florida Complex League Pirates (FCL) in 2022, Bradenton in 2023 and then Greensboro this season.

Valdez will play for the National League in the MLB All-Star Futures Game, featuring the best prospects in baseball, on July 12 at Truist Park, the home ballpark of the Atlanta Braves, along with Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin.

MLB Pipeline doesn't have a ranking for Valdez, but their upcoming re-ranking will most certainly feature the 21-year old.

Alfonzo signed with the Pirates in 2019 for $150,000. He didn't start playing professional baseball until 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, starring in the Dominican Summer League, with a .429 on-base percentage, with 32 walks and 23 hits to 30 strikeouts.

He struggled at the plate in 2022 in the Florida Complex League, hitting .144 with 15 hits in 104 at-bats.

Alfonzo bounced back in 2023, hitting .286 and having a .516 on-base percentage and a .524 slugging percentage in the Florida Complex League in eight games, earning a promotion to Single-A Bradenton on June 20, 2023.

He slashed .273/.390/.413 in 52 games for Bradenton in 2023, with 41 hits in 150 at-bats, seven doubles, four home runs, 37 RBI, 30 walks to 46 strikeouts and a .840 OPS.

Alfonzo continued his good play for Bradenton into 2024, slashing .253/.353/.388 with 77 hits in 304 at-bats, 15 doubles, eight home runs, 34 RBIs, 45 walks to 92 strikeouts and a .741 OPS.

The Pirates promoted Alfonzo to Greensboro on Aug. 6 and he slashed .247/.371/.457 for an OPS of .828, with 20 hits in 81 at-bats, two doubles, five home runs, 12 RBIs and 16 walks to 25 strikeouts in 24 games.

Alfonzo played in 67 games for Greensboro in 2025, slashing .261/.389/.440 for an OPS of .829, with 61 hits, nine doubles, 11 home runs, 34 RBIs and 44 walks to 79 strikeouts.

He ranked fourth in walks, tied for seventh in home runs, 10th in on-base percentage, 11th in OPS tied for 12th in hits, 13th in slugging percentage, 18th in batting average and tied for 19th in RBIs in the South Atlantic League.

MLB Pipeline ranks Alfonzo as the No. 19 prospect in the Pirates farm system and the top catching prospect for the team.

He is the son of former MLB catcher Eliézer Alfonzo, who spent six seasons in the majors from 2006-11 with the San Francisco Giants, San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners and the Colorado Rockies. He is the younger brother of Eliézer Alfonzo Jr., who is with the Double-A Erie Seawolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers.