Overview
- Valdez hit his first major-league home run on Sunday, May 24, a two-run, opposite-field 345-foot shot off Chase Lee that helped the Pirates beat the Blue Jays 4-1.
- The ball landed in a standing-room area and was caught by a young fan identified as Adam Molnar, who then negotiated with Pirates reliever Justin Lawrence over its return.
- Negotiations ended when Valdez signed a bat and reliever Dennis Santana handed that bat plus an official Pirates cap to Molnar in exchange for the milestone ball.
- Valdez had been promoted from Triple-A Indianapolis the previous Friday and entered the game 0-for-7 with five strikeouts before delivering the homer; he arrived with a .253/.381/.506 Triple-A line and 10 homers in 46 games.
- The episode underscores Pittsburgh’s recent youth movement and shows the club will keep assessing Valdez’s power and playing time as it considers which prospects receive extended major-league chances.