Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez will remember his first MLB home run for several reasons, including his teammates' intense negotiations for the baseball.
The rookie hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning of Sunday's 4-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays - his third career game - and then got the silent treatment in the dugout.
✅ First MLB Hit
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) May 24, 2026
✅ First MLB HR
✅ First Rookie Silent Treatment 🤣 pic.twitter.com/ynQlYOOtk4
The real drama started after the young Blue Jays fan who caught Valdez's home-run ball decided to show off his savvy at the bargaining table when members of the Pirates' bullpen asked for the souvenir.
This young Jays fan caught Esmerlyn Valdez's first MLB home run and is driving a hard bargain to give the ball back to the Pirates 😅 pic.twitter.com/WC8tn7ltRL
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) May 24, 2026
"Oh, we've got to do anything for that ball," reliever Dennis Santana said postgame, according to Colin Beazley of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "When you get your first hit, first strikeout, especially a homer, after being (0-for-7). And he hit that to put us in front. That was (expletive) awesome."
The Pirates offered the kid a combination of several deals, including three balls, a hat, a signed bat, or a trip inside the clubhouse to meet Valdez. However, the fan didn't budge.
"His dad told him, like, 'It's your first game, try to keep it,'" Santana added. "I'm like, 'Oh (expletive).'"
#Pirates reliever Dennis Santana executed the transaction. The young boy gets a signed bat and hat in exchange for the ball Esmerlyn Valdez hit which was a HR and first MLB hit. pic.twitter.com/PSf2uFylhH
— Bob Pompeani (@KDPomp) May 25, 2026
The fan eventually accepted a bat signed by Valdez and a Pirates hat in exchange for the ball.
"He's the most happy guy you've ever seen," Santana said when asked about Valdez's special moment. "That's the least thing we can do for him."
