Ever since he started playing baseball, Esmerlyn Valdez’s favorite player has been José Bautista. More specifically, the legendary bat flip he tossed after his pivotal home run of the 2015 ALDS, a moment he dare not try to recreate. “They'll take me out of the game if I do that,”

The Pirates made a handful of moves to the roster ahead of Thursday’s 5 p.m. ET free-agency deadline, including selecting the contract of one of their hardest-throwing relievers, right-hander Ryan Harbin. Among the flurry of moves, right-hander Jack Little and outfielder Ji Hwan Bae were claimed off waivers by the

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- Tony Blanco Jr. certainly looks the part. As the 6-foot-7, 243-pounder strides into the box, wearing the same No. 99 made famous by this generation’s preeminent slugger, it seems he’s capable of the old axiom of “hitting the cover off the ball” every time he coils up

Major League Baseball released its full 2026 Spring Training schedule -- complete with a few fun twists -- on Wednesday. The action kicks off on Feb. 20 with a handful of games, including four in the Cactus League (D-backs-Rockies, Padres-Mariners, Royals-Rangers, and White Sox-Cubs), one in the Grapefruit League (Yankees-Orioles)

Since the Arizona Fall League started the Fall Stars Game in 2010 to shine a spotlight on its top talents, the event has featured a number of future big league luminaries. Ronald Acuña Jr., Mookie Betts, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Bryce Harper, Aaron Judge, Francisco Lindor, Julio Rodríguez, Corey Seager and

Tune into the Arizona Fall League and the Dominican Winter League (LIDOM) to watch some of baseball's brightest young stars. You can see MLB's top prospects in action, with AFL matchups streaming for free on both MLB.com (here and on the AFL site) and MLB.TV. LIDOM games are included as

As the Pirates move into the offseason, this page will continue to be updated. Players on the 60-day injured list will have to be added back to the 40-man roster after the World Series.

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When the Pirates drafted Paul Skenes with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, he was billed as the top pitching prospect of his generation. When he debuted in '24, he went on to win National League Rookie of the Year and finish third for the NL Cy Young Award.

The All-Star festivities at baseball’s most elite prospect circuit are always an unforgettable event. The 19th annual Fall Stars Game will be no different. This year’s iteration, which will be broadcast live on MLB Network and MLB.com at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday from Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona, will

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – For just about any given baseball moment, there’s a “Bull Durham” quote that’s relevant. After Carlson Reed tossed four shutout innings on Wednesday in the Arizona Fall League, it clearly was the gem delivered by Crash Davis to Nuke LaLoosh during a mound visit: “Hey. Relax. Don’t

The first two years of Spring Breakout play produced several memorable moments. Paul Skenes throwing a 102-mph fastball to Jackson Holliday and striking him out on a 92-mph slider, and Spencer Jones walloping 826 feet worth of home runs in 2024. Four of the game's top dozen prospects homering in

The Arizona Fall League Home Run Derby is getting a revamp in its fourth annual event -- complete with a brand-new format and a new group of prospects set to swing for the fences.

Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens are among the eight players on this year’s Era Committee ballot unveiled Monday by the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Bonds, Clemens, Carlos Delgado, Jeff Kent, Don Mattingly, Dale Murphy, Gary Sheffield and Fernando Valenzuela comprise the Contemporary Baseball Era player ballot, which focuses on

These guys flash the leather like nobody else. Now they've earned their hardware as the top defensive prospects in baseball. Three Top 100 prospects -- including baseball's top overall prospect -- headlined the nine-player crop of 2025 Minor League Gold Glove Award winners, Rawlings and Minor League Baseball announced Sunday.

The Pirates turned their attention to the farm system this week, recognizing the top performing prospects for Minor League awards. Most of these players have been covered this year or will have more coverage in the near future, but first, let’s run down the award winners.

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf’s Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

The Pirates are hiring Astros pitching coach Bill Murphy as their new pitching coach, sources told MLB.com. The club has yet to confirm the story. Murphy, 36, has spent the past decade in the Astros’ organization, starting as a Rookie Ball pitching coach in 2016 before rising to their pitching

For the first time in its 33 seasons, the Arizona Fall League features Statcast technology at all six of its ballparks, allowing for more complete data. The developmental circuit has reached the midpoint of its six-week schedule, making it a fine time to check in on the top performers in

This winter might be the Pirates’ most important offseason since 2012, the months before they made the leap from a sub-.500 club to the postseason in '13. The circumstances this winter are similar, as the Pirates (71-91) finished last in the National League Central, but club president Travis Williams was

This story was excerpted from Alex Stumpf's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

When we rank prospects at MLB Pipeline, it’s always with a long-term-potential frame of mind. We’re trying to project what kind of big leaguer each of these Minor Leaguers are going to be, so we look at tools or stuff and how we think each player will use them consistently

GOODYEAR, Ariz. -- There is no professional hitter currently hotter than Esmerlyn Valdez. The Pirates’ 21-year-old outfield prospect hammered two more home runs Sunday during Salt River’s 11-3 win over Glendale at Goodyear Ballpark, giving him seven roundtrippers in eight games. He’s 10-for-20 during his time in the Arizona Fall