Young Blue Jays fan gets max value before giving up Pirates rookie’s HR ball
· Yahoo Sports
The Pittsburgh Pirates brought up their latest promising rookie for a weekend series in Toronto.
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Outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez, 22, immediately joined the starting lineup. He played right field and batted in the bottom third of the order for all three games.
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After a slow start, Valdez broke through during Pittsburgh’s 4-1 victory over the Blue Jays on Sunday, May 24. His two-run, opposite-field home run in the sixth inning represented his first MLB hit.
The homer touched off a negotiation for the ball in the outfield between the young fan who caught it and the Pirates’ bullpen. Canada’s Sportsnet shared video of it on X.
“The kid came running up, and in my head I was kind of like, ‘Thank goodness it’s a kid, this should be very easy,’” Pittsburgh reliever Justin Lawrence told MLB.com. “[But] right away he goes, ‘I think I’m going to keep it.’”
The fan in question, Adam Molnar, got on the phone with his dad and settled on his demands. He ended up with an autographed bat and a Pirates hat, although he called it a Pelicans hat in an interview with Sportsnet Pittsburgh.
“It’s such a special moment for [Valdez],” Lawrence said. “I don’t know how often a guy gets his first home run ball back, so just having an opportunity to be able to get it for him was awesome.”
Pittsburgh’s youth movement
Valdez joined 20-year-old shortstop Konnor Griffin and 23-year-old outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia as recent call-ups seeing major playing time for the Pirates. Griffin signed a nine-year, $140 million contract and is expected to remain a fixture in the infield.
Valdez slashed .253/.381/.506 with 10 home runs in 46 games this year for Triple-A Indianapolis before his call-up. In 2025, he earned the organization’s Willie Stargell Slugger of the Year award High-A Greensboro and Double-A Altoona.
Pittsburgh hosts the NL Central rival Chicago Cubs for a four-game series beginning at 1:35 p.m. ET on Monday.