Jeudy Valdez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked San Diego Padres #24 prospect in 2012
  Valdez earned a spot on the Padres' 40-man roster following the 2010 season despite batting just .247/.302/.380 while repeating low Class A. His breadth of tools and positional flexibility tantalized San Diego and might have held similar cachet for other teams in the Rule 5 draft. Valdez started 2011 by hitting .211 through early May, then picked up the pace and batted .314/.361/.523 with 14 homers in 421 at-bats the rest of the way. He still struggles to identify breaking pitches from righthanders, so he doled out most of his damage versus lefties (1.130 OPS compared to .723 against righties). He finished the year with 59 extra-base hits and has more pop than most middle infielders. He's also an above-average runner who has racked up 34 steals in each of the past two seasons. Valdez slid over from second base to play shortstop full-time in 2011 for the first time since short-season ball. He made flashy plays on occasion, but stiff, robotic actions and concentration lapses led to a multitude of errors. Valdez finished with a lower fielding percentage (.941) than any Cal League regular, though his plus arm definitely plays on the left side of the infield. Any gains he makes in the batter's box this year in Double-A will improve his odds to become a regular middle infielder or hard-hitting utility player.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #28 prospect in 2011
  Valdez hasn't advanced past low Class A in five pro seasons, but the Padres believe he turned a corner in 2010. They added him to the 40-man roster in November, something they did not do for Nick Schmidt, Kellen Kulbacki and Mitch Canham, three of the top 57 picks in the 2007 draft. Valdez has tantalized with loud raw tools at every stop, but he hit just .238/.297/.360 in two seasons in the Midwest League at ages 20 and 21. He missed a large chunk of the 2009 season with a broken wrist, but showed few ill effects last season in establishing career highs with 10 home runs, 34 doubles and 34 stolen bases. Valdez has lightning in his wrists and whips the bat through the zone with good extension, lending hope that he can top out near 15 home runs at his peak. He drives the ball well to right-center field, so his power could be average overall. He can hit premium velocity, but his pitch recognition skills are rudimentary and he gets out in front even against ordinary offspeed stuff. Learning to lay off the breaking ball would do wonders for his average, but as it is he's a below-average hitter. Valdez's ability to run, field and throw all as above-average. He's quick and nimble around the bag, with soft hands and more than enough arm for shortstop, where San Diego intends to play him in 2011 as he heads to high Class A.
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  Ranked San Diego Padres #25 prospect in 2008
  Valdez signed with the Padres in November 2005 and he made his debut in the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League the following year. He came to the United States at age 18 last season, showing a short, quick stroke with good gap power. Valdez is strong for his size and offers quick wrists and above-average bat speed that could translate into 15-20 home runs per year down the line. He's also an above-average runner who can get down the line in 4.1 seconds from the right side. A former switch-hitter, he gave that up during the 2006 season. Valdez has plus arm strength at shortstop, enough to make plays in the hole, but he has a funky throwing action that might force a move to second base if he doesn't iron it out. Because he's so young, Valdez probably won't reach full-season ball until 2009.