Pirates News: AFL Fall Stars, PiratesFest dates announced, Grapefruit League schedule

The Pittsburgh Pirates were well represented at the Arizona Fall League's Fall Stars weekend, with Tony Blanco Jr. capturing the league's Home Run Derby crown on Saturday and Esmerlyn Valdez starting in right field for the National League squad on Sunday.

The hulking 6-foot-7, 243-pound Blanco showed off his impressive power at the Home Run Derby, with one of his homers recorded at 122.9 mph – harder than any home run hit during an MLB game or MLB Home Run Derby in the Statcast era.

As part of the new-look format in 2025, Blanco began the Home Run Derby as teammates with Valdez, who went on to represent the Pirates in the Fall Stars Game the following day. Pittsburgh's No. 15 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, Valdez started in right while batting cleanup for the NL team. He drew a walk and collected an opposite-field single, finishing as one of just four players to compete in the entire game.

Pirates News: Dates, details announced for PiratesFest 2026

The Pirates announced last week that PiratesFest will return to David L. Lawrence Convention Center on Jan. 24. The event, which was stretched out to two days in 2025, will return to a single-day format in 2026.

The event will take place from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m., with early access for season ticket holders at 9 a.m. Admission is free, but digital tickets must be reserved in advance on the team's website. Autograph sessions will be ticketed and sold prior to the event, with all proceeds going to Pirates Charities.

There will be meet-and-greets with players and an array of family-friendly games and activities, but the headlining event of PiratesFest –– in recent years, anyway –– is the Q&A session with Pirates management. Last year, it was the site of an organized protest by a group of frustrated fans demanding that Bob Nutting sell the team.

As just about anyone could have predicted, those fans didn't get their wish. Regardless, this year's event promises to provide similar entertainment value.

Pirates News: Pittsburgh unveils 2026 Grapefruit League schedule for spring training

The Pirates last week released their 31-game Grapefruit League slate for 2026, which will include 16 home games at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla.

Pittsburgh's spring schedule will kick off Feb. 21 with a trip to Sarasota to take on the Baltimore Orioles. The Pirates will return to Bradenton the following day to host their home opener against the Tampa Bay Rays.

In addition to their Grapefruit League games, the Pirates will also host Team Colombia for an exhibition contest on March 3 ahead of the 2026 World Baseball Classic. Pittsburgh's Spring Breakout Game will also take place against the Detroit Tigers on March 20 at LECOM Park.