Boasting raw power and a .327 average, the rookie sensation is fueling a heated positional battle in Detroit while proving he can be the lineup’s missing spark.
Eduardo Valencia got his call-up to the major leagues on July 9.
Since then, Valencia has been nothing short of impressive.
The young catcher is hitting .327 on the season with a .358 on-base percentage and a .964 OPS. There was a reason the Tigers moved on from fan favorite and clubhouse beloved Jake Rogers. Valencia was quickly becoming the real deal, and that has shown up throughout his first major league season.
Valencia has recorded 110 plate appearances and 104 at-bats this season. So, how has the young catcher adapted to the big leagues in his first taste of MLB action?
Pretty well.
Valencia has collected 34 hits while scoring 19 runs. His power has been absurd, with 11 doubles and six home runs, including a true second-deck shot just a few days ago.
The catcher extraordinaire has driven in 18 runs and continues to provide a major spark in the lineup on an almost daily basis.
There is one obvious area where Valencia can improve: his ability to recognize pitches and work deeper into at-bats.
His three walks compared to 27 strikeouts is not the ideal ratio, but that is something that can be developed. Plate discipline can improve with experience, coaching and more time seeing major league pitching.
What Tigers coaches cannot simply teach is the kind of raw power Valencia has already displayed.
Fortunately for Detroit, that is something they don't need to worry about.
Valencia's success has been a constant since his call-up, and it has been impressive enough to spark a much bigger conversation: Who should be Detroit's starting catcher next season?
A month ago, that question would have sounded far-fetched.
Now, it's becoming a legitimate conversation.
Dillon Dingler has gone from being part of the MVP conversation to struggling to maintain his spot as Detroit's everyday catcher. That's baseball. A player's standing can change incredibly quickly, and Valencia has taken full advantage of his opportunity.
And the Tigers' situation gets even more interesting.
Detroit still has one of the organization's top prospects waiting in the wings in Josue Briceno, a catcher/first baseman who currently ranks as the Tigers' No. 4 prospect. Briceno has continued to produce offensively throughout the season while working toward his own opportunity to reach the major leagues.
That puts Detroit in an interesting position.
Three extremely talented players are hovering around the same position, and all three have legitimate reasons to be part of the organization's long-term plans.
Of the three, though, Valencia has made a particularly strong case for himself.
In a vacuum, it's easy to see why.
The Tigers have desperately needed the kind of player who can become a thorn in the opponent's side — someone who consistently gets on base, finds gaps and keeps piling up hits. A player hitting .300 or better can change the complexion of a lineup, and Valencia is doing exactly that while hitting .327 over his first 104 at-bats.
For Tigers fans, it has been a breath of fresh air watching the youth movement take over.
Detroit's recent circumstances have created an opportunity to evaluate some of its young talent in a way that may not have happened if the team were still firmly in the playoff hunt.
Valencia is making sure the Tigers pay attention.
His first major league season has provided plenty of reasons for optimism, and if this is a glimpse of what is coming, the future in Detroit looks awfully bright.
