Pirates Prospect Crushes Home Run in Arizona Fall League

Blanco Jr. has played in just three games so far for Salt River and has two hits in nine at-bats, with four RBIs and four walks to four strikeouts.

He made his first start for the Rafters in that game at designated hitter and he will start at first base vs. the Peoria Javelinas on Oct. 17.

Tony Blanco Jr. Shows Unbelievable Power in 2025 for Pirates

Blanco Jr. stands 6-foot-7 and 243 pounds, using his frame to send balls far out of the ballpark with great bat speed.

Pirates fans didn't get to see much of that power early on as Blanco Jr. dealt with a leg injury that landed him on the 60-day injured list on March 24. He eventually started his rehab assignment with the Florida Complex League Pirates on July 12 and made his debut with Single-A Bradenton on July 19.

Blanco Jr. hit his first home run of the season 118.9 mph and 425 feet on July 30, then broke the record on Aug. 2, sending a three-run walk-off home run 119.8 mph and 450 feet, the hardest hithome run in the minor leagues in 2025.

He slashed .264/.368/.491 for an OPS of .859 in 28 games with Bradenton this season, with 28 hits in 106 at-bats, three double, seven home runs, 21 RBIs, 18 walks to 42 strikeouts. 

Blanco Jr. has a high strikeout rate, but when he makes contact with the ball, it's likely going far, with a quarter of his hits home runs at Single-A.

The History of Tony Blanco Jr. with the Pirates

The 20-year old signed with the Pirates for $900,000 in January 2022 and has only played in 87 games across the minor leagues in four seasons. 

Blanco Jr. played 40 games with the Dominican Summer League (DSL) Pirates Gold in 2023. He slashed .235/.325/.397 for an OPS of .722 with 32 hits in 136 at-bats, seven doubles, five home runs, 25 RBIs and 17 walks to 59 strikeouts.

He slashed .305/.385/.505 for an OPS of .890 in 30 games with the FCL Pirates in 2024, with 29 hits in 95 at-bats, five doubles, one triple, four home runs, 17 RBIs and 12 walks to 31 strikeouts.

Blanco Jr. is the son of Tony Blanco, who played baseball professional for 17 years, including one season with the Washington Nationals in 2005 and eight years in Japan, where he was a four-time NPB All-Star.

Blanco Sr. died on April 8 after sustaining injuries from in the Jet Set Nightclub Collapse in Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, the same incident that killed former Pirates closer Octavio Dotel.

What the Pirates Need From Tony Blanco Jr. Going into 2026

Blanco Jr. is known for his power, but injuries over the past few seasons have hampered his development, even at just 20 years old.

The Pirates will want the Blanco Jr. to find consistency at the plate, getting on base more with walks, which he's done well with so far in the Arizona Fall League, but also with singles and doubles too.

Blanco Jr., who MLB Pipeline ranks as the 30th ranked prospect in the Pirates farm system, also has another power-hitting teammate in Esmerlyn Valdez on Salt River.

Valdez, the 15th ranked prospect in the Pirates farm system, leads the Arizona Fall League with five home runs so far.

The Pirates will hope that two players born in the Dominican Republic thrive and continue getting better over the course of this short season.