Pittsburgh Pirates' infield fill-in is looking like a diamond-in-the-rough find

If you were an Enmanuel Valdez doubter entering the season, you were far from alone. The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired the infielder this past offseason from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for 2024 19th-round pick Joe Vogatsky. Valdez batted a meager .235/.286/.400 with a .296 wOBA and 84 wRC+ in 372 plate appearances for the Sox between 2023 and 2024.

The only positive Valdez brought to the plate was his power, as he went yard a dozen times with a respectable .165 isolated slugging percentage. On the other hand, his negatives were clear; he struck out nearly a quarter of the time with a 24.2% K% and only drew a walk in 6.7% of his trips to the plate. Needless to say, many were not thrilled when the Pirates called upon Valdez after the first game of the season when Nick Gonzales hit the injured list.

However, Valdez has been somewhat of a pleasant surprise. It’s only been 55 plate appearances, but the infielder has been one of the few bright spots in the Pirates’ lineup this season. He is slashing .234/.345/.447 with a home run, two triples, and three doubles. Valdez has also struck out just 11 times, for a 20% K%, and walked in eight plate appearances, good for a 14.6% walk rate.

Enmanuel Valdez's numbers with Pittsburgh Pirates look even better below the surface

But the numbers under the hood are even better. Valdez has a .397 xwOBA, which is the 33rd highest among batters with at least 50 plate appearances. That’s even better than Paul Goldschmidt, Yordan Álvarez, and Bo Bichette. Valdez also has a strong .318 xBA and .511 xSLG%. There are currently just 25 batters who have both an xBA over .300 and xSLG% over .500. Valdez is one of those 25, alongside the likes of Jung Hoo Lee, Bobby Witt Jr., and Manny Machado.

Valdez is also making better swing decisions. Valdez chased at pitches outside the strike zone 28.6% in 2024 (28.7% in 2023). He’s made improvements in this area of his game and is now only swinging outside the zone 26.6% of the time. Valdez’s 23% whiff rate is also better than average. On top of that, Valdez is making good contact when he hits the ball. He has a 91.5 MPH exit velocity and 11.1% barrel rate.

Now granted, while his offense has been good, with room for more, the defense is another story. Valdez has mostly played second base throughout his Major League career. Between 2023 and 2024, the infielder had -11 defensive runs saved and -12 outs above average. With how poorly his glove at the keystone was, the Pirates have since shifted him to his left to first base. While Valdez’s glove plays slightly better at first, defensive issues continue to persist.

But Valdez is doing three things you want batters to be doing: making good contact at an above-average rate, not swinging at pitches outside the zone very much, and not swinging and missing at a high rate either. His defense and baserunning haven’t been good, but he’s been a very solid hitter with the potential for more.