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The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to miss the playoffs for a 10th straight season, but their Double-A affiliate in Altoona kicked off what is sure to be an exciting postseason run this week in Game 1 of the Southwest Division series.
Altoona rallied for seven runs in the sixth inning and held on to defeat Erie (Detroit Tigers) 11-5 in the opener of the best-of-three series on Tuesday. Five Altoona batters recorded multiple hits in the win, paced by three apiece from Konnor Griffin and Esmerlyn Valdez.
Griffin, the consensus top prospect in baseball, went 3-for-4 with a walk and an RBI. His infield single in the bottom of the sixth resulted in three runs scored on a throwing error by Erie. Nick Cimillo, Termarr Johnson and Tres Gonzalez each had two hits and combined to score five runs in the win.
Valdez, the Pirates' No. 15 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, homered in the second inning and tied the game with a two-run single in the sixth. He added a two-run double in the seventh inning to set a new Altoona playoff record with five RBI.
Esmerlyn Valdez puts us on the board! pic.twitter.com/68VdHBY89F
— Altoona Curve (@AltoonaCurve) September 16, 2025
Pirates prospect Esmerlyn Valdez caps off incredible season with record-setting playoff performance
Valdez has consistently demonstrated his raw power at the plate ever since the Pirates signed him as an international free agent out of the Dominican Republic in 2021, but he has set career highs in nearly every statistical category in 2025 between High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona.
Valdez earned a promotion at the end of June on the same day that he and Griffin were named as the Pirates' representatives for the MLB All-Star Futures Game. The 21-year-old left Greensboro with a .303/.385/.592 slash line and a South Atlantic League-leading 20 home runs in 72 games. He was still named the league's MVP for the season, even following his promotion.
At Altoona, Valdez hit at a .260/.363/.409 clip with six homers through 51 games. His chase and strikeout rates have also gone down in 2025 without diminishing his impact. He has spent time at first base and both outfield corners this season, and he will fit nicely into the Pirates' future outfield picture if he continues on his current trajectory.