Esmerlyn Valdez’s first real run with the Pirates has already put him in some eye-opening company, and the name attached to him says plenty: Yordan Alvarez.
That comparison didn’t come out of nowhere. Through 28 big league games, Valdez has looked like a hitter who knows exactly what he wants to do at the plate.
He’s patient. He’s got real power.
And once Pittsburgh gave him a legitimate chance, it became tough to imagine taking him out of the lineup.
The numbers are what make the case so loud. Valdez is hitting .309/.371/.713 with a 1.084 OPS, 21 runs, 29 hits, six doubles, one triple, 10 homers and 27 RBIs in his first 28 games.
Alvarez’s first 28 games in 2019 were nearly a mirror image: .327/.403/.682 with a 1.085 OPS, 18 runs, 36 hits, nine doubles, no triples, 10 homers and 32 RBIs. Both did it at 22 years old.
That’s why the comparison carries weight. Alvarez isn’t just another good hitter - he’s the favorite to win the AL MVP this year, and he’s off to a massive start through the All-Star break at .318/.426/.633 with 31 home runs. He’s also a career .299/.393/.580 hitter, the kind of bat who lives in rare air.
Valdez is not Alvarez, and nobody should pretend otherwise. The biggest gap between them right now is strikeouts.
Alvarez has become one of the game’s most dangerous low-strikeout power bats, sitting at 17.1% this season and 19.4% for his career. Valdez is at 36.2%, which is a real concern.
Even so, there’s a reason for optimism. Alvarez was whiffing at a 27.4% clip in his first 28 games before eventually trimming that down over time. If Valdez can shave even about 10% off his strikeout rate, the profile starts to look a lot cleaner.
There are some physical similarities, too. Valdez is listed at 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds by FanGraphs, while Alvarez checks in at 6-foot-4 and 237 pounds.
Valdez already shows enough plate discipline to believe there’s more here than just raw power. He’s walking at a 9.5% rate, and his 24.6% chase rate is among the best in the game, veterans included. If a few swing tweaks help close some of the holes, the contact could improve without sacrificing the pop.
And that’s the real takeaway here: Valdez doesn’t need to become Yordan Alvarez to matter. But the early evidence says the Pirates may have something far more dangerous than a hot streak.
In Other News...
Pirates Get A Bullpen Arm Back At A Critical Time
The Pirates got a needed bullpen piece back Friday when they activated right-hander Wilber Dotel from the 15-day injured list and put him on the 26-man roster ahead of their doubleheader against the Guardians. Dotel, who had been working his way back through a rehab assignment, gives Pittsburgh another arm at a time when every inning matters, especially with two games on the schedule in one day.
Dotel is expected to be available for the second game, which gives the Pirates a chance to ease him back into the mix after a strong start to the season before the injury interrupted him. How quickly he can reclaim that early form will matter for a club trying to stabilize the back end of its staff, and the timing of his return could make him an immediate factor if the first game goes long. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Turn To An Unexpected Arm As Bigger Doubleheader Questions Loom
The Pirates are using the kind of roster wrinkle that only shows up on a doubleheader day, adding right-hander Khristian Curtis as the extra arm for Fridays split against the Guardians. Curtis gives Pittsburgh coverage for the first game before the club sends him back to Triple-A Indianapolis, a temporary move that helps the pitching staff navigate a long day without forcing a more permanent decision.
Curtis addition also came with a corresponding shuffle on the 40-man roster, as the Pirates created room to select his contract. Once the doubleheader is over, the bigger picture shifts back to the injured-list ledger and the next wave of pitching availability, with Wilber Dotel set to come off the IL and the club trying to keep its bullpen lined up for the stretch ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Outfield Picture Just Got More Complicated Again
Dominic Fletcher is back in the Pirates organization on a minor league deal, giving Pittsburgh another familiar name to sort through in an outfield mix that already has plenty of moving parts. Fletcher had opted out of his previous contract, was released in early July and then found his way back to the club about two weeks later, a quick turn that underscores how much both sides still see in the fit.
The 26-year-old has been one of the more productive bats at Triple-A Indianapolis this season while also bouncing around multiple outfield spots, which only adds to the argument that he can stay in the conversation. For the Pirates, the question is less about whether Fletcher can help somewhere and more about when, and in what role, that chance might come. [Read more 🡒]