Another potential Pirates call-up who is tearing it up at Triple-A in 2026

The Pittsburgh Pirates made waves in the news cycle earlier this week when they called up top prospect Esmerlyn Valdez, who was raking at Triple-A to the tune of a 132 wRC+ and 10 home runs in just 46 games. He's got 60-grade power that can carry a lineup when he's right, though he'll have to cut down his strikeouts to remain relevant at the highest level.

Yet, at least by wRC+, Valdez wasn't the most dominant hitter in Triple-A Indianapolis' lineup. That honor goes to Ronny Simon, who was named their hitter of the month for April by virtue of his 1.047 OPS. He's hitting .327/.411/.487 (138 wRC+) with 16 extra-base hits and eight steals, providing tons of value at the plate while playing second base, shortstop, left field, and right field.

At this point, it's really a question of when — not if — he'll join Valdez in Pittsburgh.

Ronny Simon has earned his chance for redemption with Pirates

Simon's success this year is an incredible story considering how his 2025 campaign ended. After making his MLB debut earlier in the year with the Miami Marlins, the 26-year-old found his way to the Pirates organization, eventually getting another crack at the big-league level in August.

Unfortunately, that tenure lasted just eight games, as Simon dislocated his left shoulder on a slide at the end of August. He was shut down for the remainder of the season, then got DFA'd and non-tendered in November as the front office cleared out room on the roster ahead of the offseason.

Thankfully, the Bucs got him to re-sign on a minor-league deal, and he's rewarding their faith now. Beyond his impressive stats, Simon is responsible for some elite batted ball data; his average exit velocity (91.8 mph) and hard-hit rate (45.7%) both rank in the top quartile among all qualified Triple-A hitters in 2026.

With Jared Triolo and Jake Magnum off the injured list — and both Jhostynxon Garcia and Valdez called up to the majors — there's no immediate need for Simon in Pittsburgh, despite his scorching hot bat and versatility. Then again, Triolo hasn't played second base all year, which is Simon's primary position. If Don Kelly wants to keep Brandon Lowe fresh for the stretch run, perhaps the team can find the space to let Indianapolis' best hitter get a few reps at the next level.

Even if the roster crunch precludes him from getting a shot in the near future, though, Simon has officially put himself back on the Pirates' radar with his performance this season. Considering where things were at nine months ago, that's nothing short of a miracle.

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