In the first inning of Friday’s Bradenton contest, Esmerlyn Valdez hit an inside the park grand slam.
The Pirates signed Valdez in early 2021 as an international free agent, and he arrived in the US after one year in the DSL. Last year, in his second season in the FCL, Valdez hit .312/.377/.518 with six homers.
He’s a bat-first prospect, spending his time in the field between the corner outfield spots and first base. Valdez is batting .273/.389/.477 with four homers this season. His 33 strikeouts in 108 plate appearances (30.6%) is a concern, but Valdez is a 20-year-old getting on base at a high rate and hitting for power in the low levels.
Here’s that inside the park homer from Valdez.
What's the best way to start the weekend?@Pirates prospect Esmerlyn Valdez might know: hit an inside-the-park grand slam for @The_Marauders. pic.twitter.com/roeJk5jcLV
— Minor League Baseball (@MiLB) May 10, 2024
PIRATES PROSPECT WATCH
INDIANAPOLIS lost 3-0.
- RHP Wily Peralta pitched three shutout innings, allowing two hits, no walks, and striking out three.
- 2B-LF Ji Hwan Bae went 1-for-3 with a walk.
- DH Henry Davis went 1-for-4.
- SS Liover Peguero went 1-for-3 with a walk.
- 3B Malcom Nunez went 1-for-4.
ALTOONA was postponed.
GREENSBORO lost 4-3.
- RHP Derek Diamond pitched four shutout innings, allowing four hits, one walk, and striking out four.
- RHP Alessandro Ercolani pitched three innings in relief, allowing two runs on a hit and two walks, with three strikeouts.
- 1B Maikol Escotto went 1-for-4 with a double.
- C Shawn Ross went 1-for-3 with a walk and a double.
- 3B Charles McAdoo went 1-for-4 with an RBI.
BRADENTON won 8-7, led by an inside the park grand slam by Esmerlyn Valdez.
- LHP Michael Kennedy allowed four runs on eight hits, with no walks and four strikeouts. His runs came in the fifth and sixth inning, with two homers in the sixth.
- SS Keiner Delgado went 2-for-5 with a double.
- LF Solomon Maguire went 1-for-3 with a home run and a walk.
- CF Shalin Polanco went 1-for-4 with a walk and a double.
- RF Eddy Rodriguez went 1-for-4 with a walk.
FCL PIRATES lost 8-6.
- 3B Yerry De Los Santos went 1-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs.
- C Luke Scherrer went 1-for-2 with two walks and a double.
- SS Carlos Caro went 1-for-3 with a walk and a double.
- CF Eduardo Oviedo went 1-for-3 with an RBI.
- 2B Roinny Aguiar went 1-for-3.
STATCAST HEROES
Wily Peralta whiffed four on eight swings on his splitter. STATS
Michael Kennedy had 14 whiffs, with nine from the slider on 17 swings. STATS
TOMORROW’S SCHEDULE
- Triple-A: Indianapolis, 7:15 PM – TBD
- Double-A: Altoona, 2:00 PM – RHP Bubba Chandler (1-1, 3.10)
- Double-A: Altoona, Game Two – TBD
- High-A: Greensboro, 7:35 PM – TBD
- Single-A: Bradenton, 6:30 PM – RHP Khristian Curtis (0-2, 5.21)
- Rookie: FCL Pirates, 10:00 AM – TBD
