The Pittsburgh Pirates have called up another one of their top prospects.
After the Pirates dispatched the St. Louis Cardinals to win their-three game series Thursday at Busch Stadium, the team recalled No. 9 overall prospect and outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez from Triple-A Indianapolis.
A source confirmed the promotion to TribLive. Outfielder Billy Cook will be heading back to the Indians in a corresponding transaction.
Valdez, 22, could make his MLB debut once he joins the Pirates on Friday for their three-game series at the Toronto Blue Jays.
His addition to the big-league club follows outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia (the Pirates’ No. 4 prospect), who was called up Tuesday, and pitcher Wilber Dotel (No. 9), recalled Wednesday.
Over 46 games and 158 at-bats at Triple-A this season, Valdez was slashing .253/.381/.506 with 10 home runs and 29 RBIs.
He also had 10 doubles and had walked 33 times compared to 41 strikeouts.
This season marked Valdez’s Triple-A debut. In 2025, he split time between High-A and Double-A, hitting a combined 26 home runs with 86 RBIs while batting .286.
Defensively, Valdez has made 34 starts in right field and eight in left for the Indians.
He also played first base as recently as 2025 and has 74 career minor-league starts at the position, compared to 185 in right field and 67 in left.
Valdez, a 6-foot-2, 232-pounder who throws and bats right-handed, is a native of San Juan La Maguana, Dominican Republic.
He signed with the Pirates in 2021.