Pirates Prospects Top Arizona Fall League Hitters

Esmerlyn Valdez Has Dominated the Arizona Fall League

There is currently no better hitter in the Arizona Fall League than Valdez right now, who is by far and away the most effective and most powerful batter in the first two weeks of the season.

Valdez has slashed .500/.686/1.600 for an OPS of 2.286 in eight games, with 10 hits in 20 at-bats, a double, seven home runs, 13 RBIs and 13 walks to three strikeouts.

He leads the Arizona Fall League in slugging percentage, OPS, home runs and walks, ranks tied for first in runs scored (12), second in both batting average and on-base percentage and tied for third in hits.

Valdez hit two-home runs in his most recent outing vs. the Glendale Desert Dogs on Oct. 19, marking his first multi-home run game so far in the Arizona Fall League, bringing home four RBIs as well.

His seven home runs are also more than a three teams have hit all season, including the Desert Dogs, the Mesa Solar Sox and the Peoria Javelinas.

Tony Blanco Jr. is Coming Along Strong in the Arizona Fall League

Blanco Jr. has played more recently for Salt River, where he's had opportunities to show his power and hitting prowess.

He has slashed .412/.545/.647 for an OPS of 1.192 in five games, with seven hits in 17 at-bats, three runs scored, one double, one home run, six RBIs and five walks to five strikeouts.

Blanco Jr. also crushed his first home run in the Arizona Fall League on Oct. 16 against the Surprise Saguaros. He hit a slider outside and away from right-handed pitcher Rorik Maltrud, sending it 112.2 mph and an astounding 464 feet with a launch angle of 30 degrees.

The three-run home run was the farthest hit ball in the Arizona Fall League this season and one of the farthest in baseball this season, according to Statcast.

Esmerlyn Valdez and His Breakout 2025 Campaign

Valdez had a great campaign in 2025, which earned him the 15th ranking in the Pirates farm system from MLB Pipeline. 

He started at High-A Greensboro in 2025, serving 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.

His play earned him promotion to Double-A Altoona on July 2, where he played at the rest of the season.

Valdez led the South Atlantic League in seven statistical categories at the time of his promotion, including hits, home runs, RBIs, batting average, slugging percentage and OPS, plus ranking tied for first in doubles and 11th in on-base percentage, which earned him South Atlantic League MVP honors at the end of the season.

His play also put him in the Futures Game, featuring the best prospects in baseball. He and Altoona teammate Konnor Griffin, the top prospect in baseball, represented the Pirates and played for the National League.

This culminated in a strong August in Double-A for Valdez, slashing .311/.407/.522 for an OPS of .929, with 28 hits in 90 at-bats, a double, six home runs, 19 RBIs and 15 walks to 24 strikeouts. It also came after he hit .196 with no home runs in July.

His play bolstered the Curve late in the season, as they won the Eastern League West Division Second Half Title, earning a spot in the playoffs.

Valdez also just set a franchise record for the Curve, driving in five RBIs in an 11-5 comeback, playoff win over the Erie Seawolves, the Double-A affiliate of the Detroit Tigers, at Peoples Natural Gas Field on Sept. 16.

He finished his 2025 season, slashing .286/.376/.520 for an OPS of .896 in 123 games, 131 hits, 25 doubles, two triples, 26 home runs, 86 RBIs and 56 walks to 130 strikeouts.

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.

His play also has him as the 30th ranked prospect in the Pirates system, according to MLB Pipeline.

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.