Get To Know Esmerlyn Valdez: 26 Homers, Futures Game, and What’s Next for the Pirates’ Power Bat

Pirates slugger Esmerlyn Valdez joins North Shore Nine fresh off an incredible 2025 season that saw him named South Atlantic League MVP and selected to the Futures Game. Valdez talks about his breakout power surge, hitting 26 home runs between Greensboro and Altoona, what clicked for him at the plate, and how it felt to represent the Pirates among the game’s top prospects. We also dive into his approach to hitting lefties, his continued growth in Double-A, and what he’s focusing on as he looks ahead to 2026. One of the most exciting young bats in the system—this is the full story behind Esmerlyn Valdez’s rise to Pirates stardom. ️Hosted by North Shore Nine ️Subscribe for more Pirates prospect interviews, AFL coverage, and NS9LIVE episodes! Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ZY250XUYiS-yX7xOQCdLA/join Use Promo Code NS9 for 30% off your first order at https://www.gritily.com Use Promo Code NORTHSHORENINE for $20 off your first order at https://www.seatgeek.com LIKE and SUBSCRIBE with NOTIFICATIONS ON if you enjoyed the show! NS9 MERCH: https://northshorenine.myspreadshop.com ►Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NorthShoreNine ►Website: https://www.northshorenine.com ►Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/northshorenine ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northshorenine ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northshorenine ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northshorenine ►Discord: https://discord.gg/3HVYPg544m ►BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/northshorenine.bsky.social Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.