The Pittsburgh Pirates have spent the first half of 2026 getting more than they bargained for from a handful of players who were not supposed to be the headliners.
At 50-47 through 97 games, Pittsburgh heads into the All-Star break just two games out in the National League Wild Card race after sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on July 11-12. It’s the first time the Pirates have reached 50 wins at the break since 2015, the last season they made the postseason, and they’re exactly where they wanted to be with roughly two-and-a-half months left.
A lot of that has come from unexpected production, starting with rookie right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez.
Known by Pirates fans as, "The Magician", Valdez has been a force at the plate since stepping into the starting right field job after Ryan O'Hearn moved to first base when Spencer Horwitz went down with a hamstring injury on June 25. In 28 games, Valdez is hitting .309/.371/.713 with a 1.084 OPS, 29 hits in 94 at-bats, six doubles, one triple, 10 home runs and 27 RBI.
The stretch before the break was even louder. Over his final 16 games, he hit .393/.457/.885 with a 1.342 OPS, piling up 24 hits in 61 at-bats, four doubles, a triple, eight home runs, 21 RBI and eight walks against 21 strikeouts.
He homered four times in four games from June 26-29, becoming the first Pirates player to do that since Corey Dickerson in 2018 and one of just six MLB players to hit four home runs in four games in the first 16 games of their MLB career.
Then he kept it rolling July 9-11, launching four more home runs across three straight games, including three in the doubleheader against the Brewers on July 11. In the first game, he hit a solo shot to put Pittsburgh ahead 3-2 in the third inning, then followed with a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh that gave the Pirates a 7-6 lead in the eventual win. In the second game, his two-run homer helped build a 2-0 lead in a 3-2 victory that swung the series firmly in Pittsburgh’s favor.
Valdez also joined rare company, becoming one of just four players in MLB history and the first Pirates player ever to hit 10-plus home runs and 25-plus RBI in their first 27 games at 22 years old or younger.
Another surprise has been Endy Rodríguez, whose career has been slowed by injuries and two serious surgeries on his right elbow. He had played only 18 major league games before 2026, but this season finally gave him a chance to settle in after Joey Bart dealt with a left foot infection.
Rodríguez made the most of it. In 35 games, he slashed .260/.388/.470 with an .858 OPS, 26 hits in 100 at-bats, six doubles, five home runs, 16 RBI and 21 walks to 29 strikeouts. He became the Pirates’ starting catcher and, with Bart gone, the club traded him to the Atlanta Braves for right-handed relief pitcher Hunter Stratton, since Bart would have had to go on waivers with no minor league options remaining.
Rodríguez also delivered one of the biggest swings of the first half, blasting a three-run homer in the ninth inning to cap an 11-7 comeback win over the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on June 29. He is now on the 10-day injured list with a left glute strain, though the Pirates expect him back soon.
On the mound, Braxton Ashcraft has turned his first real run in the rotation into an All-Star season. After making his MLB debut in 2025, the second-year pitcher has broken out in 2026 with a 9-3 record in 19 starts, a 3.49 ERA over 113.1 innings, 128 strikeouts against 27 walks, a .235 batting average allowed and a 1.11 WHIP.
Ashcraft’s 10 quality starts, defined here as at least six innings pitched and fewer than three runs allowed, have shown just how steady he’s been over longer outings. That work earned him his first All-Star nod, where he’ll join Paul Skenes on the National League roster.
Then there’s Nick Gonzales, who entered the offseason in a crowded spot after the Pirates traded for second baseman Brandon Lowe. A path opened when he started working at third base, and by late April he had taken over there as his bat became the real draw.
Gonzales has hit .308/.370/.391 with a .761 OPS in 91 games, collecting 104 hits, 14 doubles, one triple, four home runs, 43 RBI and 28 walks against 66 strikeouts. His .308 average ranks third in the NL and fifth in MLB.
He’s also been especially dangerous with runners in scoring position, batting .341/.419/.451 with an .870 OPS, 31 hits in 91 at-bats, four doubles, two home runs, 38 RBI and 11 walks to 14 strikeouts.
For a Pirates team sitting in the thick of the race, those are the kinds of unexpected lifts that have made the difference.
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Konnor Griffin Just Made Pirates Fans Care Even More About This Pick
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Griffin was clearly energized by the pick, pointing to Curiels growth and the kind of impact he could eventually bring to the Pirates lineup. Beyond the personal link, Curiel arrives with a reputation for being a polished, versatile outfielder who can handle all three spots, which only adds to the intrigue around how Pittsburgh plans to use him moving forward. [Read more 🡒]