It was a difficult year for Tony Blanco Jr. However, the Pittsburgh Pirates' first base prospect did have a reason to celebrate at the end of the Arizona Fall League season.

Blanco sustained a severe hamstring injury during spring training in March. He didn't make his season debut in the minor leagues until July 15.

However, that was nothing compared to what Blanco went through off the field. On April 8, his father died in a nightclub fire in the Dominican Republic. The elder Blanco played professional baseball for 17 years, including a 56-game stint with the Washington Nationals in 2005. He retired following the 2016 season after eight seasons in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball.

However, things took a turn for the better in the AFL. In 13 games, Blanco hit .250/.377/.432 with two home runs and seven RBIs. The 6-foot-7, 243-pound slugger capped his time in the desert by winning the AFL Home Run Derby.

Blanco showed his raw power by hitting 24 home runs in the derby, including one with an exit velocity of 122.2 mph. The 20-year-old also hit a 464-foot homer in an AFL game.

Blanco was limited to just 30 games in the minor leagues this season due to the hamstring injury, yet he hit eight home runs, including seven in 28 games for Low-A Bradenton. Overall, he had a .259/.359/.500 slash line.

Blanco was the prize of the Pirates' 2021-22 international amateur free agent class. He signed for a $900,000 bonus.

Blanco began his pro career by playing in the Dominican Summer League in 2022 and 2023. He made his United States debut with a 30-game stint in the Rookie-level Florida Complex League in 2024.

The Pirates feel Blanco is just starting to get comfortable in professional baseball, as he has played 109 minor league games, which is less than a full season's worth. Blanco made a good impression on Salt River manager Eric Patterson during the AFL season.

"Just beyond the baseball stuff, he's a great human being, a good kid who works hard," said Patterson, the bench coach for the Pirates' Triple-A Indianapolis farm club this year. "His aptitude's really high. The work ethic is off the charts. He comes to the park prepared every day, and especially for being one of the younger guys in the (AFL), I think the moment's not too big for him."