Chris Valaika Stats & Scouting Report

AB	248
AVG	.238
OBP	.282
SLG	.351
HR	5

Full name Christopher Andrew Valaika
Born 08/14/1985 in Santa Monica, CA
Profile Ht.: 5'11" / Wt.: 205 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School UC Santa Barbara
Debut 08/24/2010
Drafted in the 3rd round (84th overall) by the Cincinnati Reds in 2006 (signed for $437,500).

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Scouts have had a long time to evaluate Valaika against quality competition. He was on three USA Baseball teams, winning a gold medal in 2001 with the youth national team and a silver medal in 2003 with the Pan American Games junior national team. He earned a gold medal at the World University Games with the college national team in 2004 as an infield reserve behind future first-round picks Jed Lowrie, Troy Tulowitzki and Ryan Zimmerman. However, Valaika hit a speed bump last year when he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. He has worked hard to come back and doesn't wear a brace on his knee. He's a hard worker with solid-average tools. Most of his success owes to his good hands. He shows quick hands at the plate that generate average power, particularly inviting for a player who should stay in the infield defensively. Valaika's hands work well in the infield, though his range at shortstop is below-average and he's a fringe-average runner. With better patience at the plate, Valaika's power should increase. His makeup is a significant plus. He can play second base and has enough arm for third, making him an ideal utility infielder.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Valaika's bat seemed strong enough to carry his adequate glove in the lower levels of the minors, but his aggressiveness hasn't paid off with the same kind of power production against more advanced pitching. He has spent most of the past three seasons in Triple-A, getting just 63 big league at-bats in 2010-11. His ceiling has been lowered from an offensive-minded regular at second base to more of a utilityman, but he still can be useful in that role. Valaika has a balanced swing at the plate and could hit .270 with some gap power and a few walks in the big leagues if he got regular at-bats. He's an average defender at second base, the only position at which he could profile as a regular. He throws well enough to handle third base and can play shortstop in brief stints, seeing action at both spots last year. He's a below-average runner. Valaika is as ready as he'll ever be but there's still not a clear spot open for him in Cincinnati. He still has an option remaining, so he could ride the Louisville-Cincinnati shuttle again in 2012.
As an offense-first second baseman, Valaika's rise to the big leagues took a big detour when he hit .235 in his first taste of Triple-A in 2009 and missed time after punching a water cooler, breaking his hand. He bounced back in 2010, topping .300 for the third time in his five-year career. A shortstop in college, Valaika has shown steady improvement at his new position. He led International League second basemen with a .984 fielding percentage last year and has become comfortable turning double plays. His range is still below average, but he generally scoops up whatever he gets to, and his arm is strong enough for second base. He's a slightly below-average runner. At the plate, Valaika hits plenty of line drives and is sometimes too aggressive. He doesn't walk much at all, which leads to low on-base percentages. His slightly below-average power plays well at second base. Some scouts see Valaika as a second-division regular with enough bat to make up for his defensive deficiencies, while others see him as an offense-first utility type who can play third base and even shortstop in a pinch. His chances of making the big league roster as a backup this season will depend on how the battle between Paul Janish and Zack Cozart shakes out at shortstop.
Until last season, Valaika's trip through the minor leagues could not have been smoother. He was MVP of the Rookie-level Pioneer League in his 2006 debut and hit .306 over his first three pro seasons. But 2009 quickly tested Valaika more than he'd ever been tested as a pro. He hit .161 in his first 23 games and his frustration got the better of him. He punched a water cooler, breaking his right hand and leading to a five-week stint on the disabled list. Thanks to the ill-timed punch, Valaika didn't get his batting average above the Mendoza line until July, and he never really got going. The offensive struggles baffled the Reds, who believe that his bat speed and uncomplicated swing should allow him to hit for a solid average with average power. Valaika has always been on the edge of being too aggressive at the plate--he'll chase fastballs up and out of the zone--but 2009 was the first time that it caught up to him. He'll need to show that he can work counts to get better pitches in his second try at Triple-A this season. The bigger questions for Valaika have been on defense, where his range is below average for shortstop, though his hands work well and he has enough arm for the position. His long-term future is still at second base, where he should profile as a bat-first player whose defense is good enough. He's an average runner. With Brandon Phillips settled at second in Cincinnati and Todd Frazier trying to learn the position as well, Valaika's best shot in the short-term with Cincinnati may be as an offensive-minded utility player.
Valaika broke into pro ball by fashioning a 32-game hitting streak and winning the MVP award in the Rookie-level Pioneer League, and he hasn't stopped hitting. He led Cincinnati farmhands with a .317 average and ranked second with 81 RBIs in 2008, earning him the team's minor league player of the year award. The Reds love Valaika's instincts and his desire to outwork everyone else, which help explain why he's an above-average hitter despite tools that don't blow scouts away. His swing is easily maintainable and he's comfortable hitting to the opposite field. He has a tick above-average bat speed, which should allow him to slug 15 homers annually in the big leagues. He's an average runner. Valaika continues to survive at shortstop and has the bat to profile at second base if he needs to move. Valaika doesn't have the quick feet clubs want in a shortstop, though his quick release and strong arm does help make up for his lack of range. When he first made it to Double-A, he chased fastballs up and out of the zone, though he quickly adjusted. His aggressiveness leads to strikeouts. His swing isn't picture-perfect, as he sometimes drops his shoulder and collapses on his backside. Valaika has exceeded expectations and has proven he can be a solid-hitting regular in the middle infield. Second base seems like his best fit, but that's occupied by Brandon Phillips. Cincinnati has a greater need at shortstop, and Valaika might get the chance to fill it by the end of 2009.
Like fellow 2006 draftees Drew Stubbs, Justin Turner and Danny Dorn, Valaika was a college product with a long track record of success against high-level competition. He was an honorable-mention selection for the top 15-year-old player in the nation in Baseball America's Baseball for the Ages feature and was a fixture on USA Baseball teams for years. He has bounced back from a torn elbow ligament during his freshman year in high school and a blown anterior cruciate ligament during his sophomore season at UC Santa Barbara. Valaika stands out most for his bat and his makeup. He has slightly above-average hitting skills and power. He'll need to tighten his strike zone against more advanced pitching, but the bigger question is his defense. A tick below-average runner, he lacks the range to be a full-time shortstop in the majors, though he could fill in there. He moved over to second base while playing in Hawaii Winter Baseball and showed aptitude for the position. His average arm plays well at second base, while his feet and pivot are quick enough to get the job done. He has some previous experience at the position, as he was named the all-star second baseman at the 2001 World Youth Championships. Valaika's bat should pave his way to the big leagues, where he profiles as an offensive second baseman or utilityman. His performance in spring training and the Reds' decision on what position to play him at in 2008 will determine whether he returns to high Class A or advances to Double-A.
Valaika has extensive experience with USA Baseball, playing on national youth, junior and college teams. He was a Freshman All-American in 2004, but missed most of his sophomore season with a torn anterior-cruciate ligament in his right knee. He had a brilliant pro debut after signing for $437,500 as a third-round pick, setting a Pioneer League record with a 32-game hitting streak and winning league MVP honors. Valaika uses quick hands and a short stroke to spray liners to all fields. His bat was his calling card coming out of college, and he showed even more hitting ability than expected with a dominant debut. Some Pioneer League managers compared him to Bobby Crosby as an offensive shortstop. Valaika also has advanced pitch recognition and gap power. Defensively, he offers a strong arm and good hands. Valaikia's below-average speed limits his range at shortstop, and one day he may end up sliding over to second base but the Reds will leave him at shortstop until he plays his way off the position. Milton Loo needs to play shortstop in low Class A so Valaika will likely jump to high Class A.

Minor League Top Prospects

Based strictly on tools, Valaika wouldn't make the Top 20. Based solely on performance, he'd likely be in the top five. Whatever the perspective, it's hard to find a manager who wouldn't want to have Valaika on his team. He played his way out of the FSL in just over a month, showing excellent bat control, an intuitive feel for what pitchers were trying to do to him and a knack for positioning both himself and his teammates in the field. Valaika doesn't have one tool that grades out as a plus, but he also doesn't have any dramatic deficiencies either, and his instincts allow his tools to play up. Valaika is an aggressive at the plate and grades out as a 55 on the 20-80 scouting scale in both hitting and power. His slightly below-average speed keeps him from being a threat on the basepaths, and it likely will push him from shortstop to second base. He showed up this year lighter than he was in 2007, which paid off in improved lateral agility and range. But he still fits best at second base, where he'll more than enough range and an average arm.
Valaika looked like a possible first-round pick as a freshman at UC Santa Barbara, but he tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee as a sophomore and his stock never fully recovered. He did play himself back into the third round, however, and had an outstanding debut with a league-record 32-game hitting streak and the Pioneer League MVP award. Valaika's strength is the ability to make contact. He has quick hands, a consistent stroke and good pitch recognition. It's doubtful he'll add much home run power to his arsenal, though he hits plenty of balls into the gaps. Several managers though that Valaika's fringy range eventually would result in a shift to third base. He has enough arm for the position, though the Reds have no immediate plans to move him.