Josh

Adamczewski

Valdez has been the talk of the desert this fall, slashing .370/.519/.870 with eight homers and 26 RBI across 18 games. The 21-year-old slugger’s emergence gives the Pirates another potential high-impact bat to pair with blue-chip prospects Konnor Griffin and Edward Florentino, who will enter next season among the top-ranked talents in baseball. Here’s the full lineup: Nick Morabito (CF), Seaver King (2B), Parks Harber (1B), Valdez (RF), Owen Ayers (C), Nacho Alvarez Jr. (3B), Chris Suero (DH), Starlyn Caba (SS) Josh Adamczewski (LF) and Karson Milbrandt (P).

Adamczewski is still developing from an over-the-fence pop standpoint but he’s gone deep four times in just 11 games this fall. He’s looked like a massive late-round steal for Milwaukee over the past two years after being taken in the 15th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. The 20-year-old struggled in a late-season cameo at High-A Wisconsin after slashing .359/.459/.569 with five homers and four steals in 46 games for Low-A Carolina. He projects as a versatile utility player at the highest level.

The 20-year-old Adamczewski is just 6-for-33 for the Saguaros, but five of those hits have gone for extra bases and he’s walked seven times. A 15th-round pick in 2023, Adamczewski was limited to 71 games this year, with the bulk of them coming in Low-A ball, but he hit .320/.420/.490. Unfortunately, it looks like he’s not going to make it as a second baseman, and he’s been playing left field in the AFL. Still, the bat is pretty interesting.