Jesmuel Valentin Stats & Scouting Report

AB	79
AVG	.177
OBP	.258
SLG	.304
HR	1

Full name Jesmuel Jose Valentín
Born 05/12/1994 in Manati, Puerto Rico
Profile Ht.: 5'9" / Wt.: 180 / Bats: S / Throws: R
School Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
Debut 04/29/2018
Drafted in the C-A round (51st overall) by the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2012 (signed for $984,700).

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The son of Jose Valentin, who spent 16 years in the big leagues, Jesmuel has grown up around the game and spent plenty of time around major league clubhouses. Jesmuel has a similar build to his father at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. He's primarily a shortstop, but plays a lot of second base in deference to his high school teammate at Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, Carlos Correa. He'll likely get a shot to play shortstop in pro ball and has the defensive versatility to play all over the diamond, but many scouts believe he's best suited for the keystone. Valentin is a steady defender with a strong arm and is a solid-average runner with good instincts on the bases. His tools play up because of his hard-nosed approach and instincts for the game. At the plate, he has a line-drive approach, and his strong forearms allow him to spray the ball from gap to gap with authority. Valentin projects more as a doubles hitter than a slugger, but he does have the strength and bat speed to hit the ball out of the park. A natural righthanded hitter, he has been switch-hitting for about a year and half and is still working to feel comfortable as a lefty.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Gurabo, P.R., The Dodgers drafted Valentin, the son of longtime big league shortstop Jose Valentin, in 2012 and signed him for $984,700. He was middle-infield partners with Astros top prospect Carlos Correa at the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy. The Phillies acquired Valentin along with righthander Victor Arano in the August 2014 trade that sent veteran righty Roberto Hernandez to Los Angeles. Valentin is a second baseman with an strong set of offensive skills. He shows a quick stroke from both sides of the plate and the ability to hit line drives all over the diamond. His power is more to the gaps, but he has shown the potential for a home run every now and again. He's also got above-average speed and some aggressiveness on the bases. At second base, Valentin shows good hands and actions, albeit with a fringy arm that plays better when he's able to set his feet. He also hangs in well on doubleplay pivots. He's a solid runner from home to first who is faster when he gets going. After a brief stop at high Class A Clearwater following the trade, Valentin will head back there in 2015. Phillies stalwart Chase Utley, entering his age-36 season, can't last forever, so Valentin should emerge as the best in-house replacement option.
Scouts are drawn to Valentin's instincts and high baseball IQ, particularly on defense, which is no surprise given his background. His father is Jose Valentin, a 16-year big leaguer from 1992-2007 who was well regarded for his glove during his career with the Brewers, White Sox, Dodgers and Mets and is now the first base coach for the Padres. Jesmuel was high school teammates with Carlos Correa, who went No. 1 overall to the Astros in 2012, while Valentin signed for $984,700 as a supplemental first-round pick. With Correa at shortstop, Valentin played mostly second base in high school, and he spent the majority of 2013 at second as well. He gets better reads and reactions at the keystone than he does at shortstop, with good range and smooth hands. Scouts project Valentin's ceiling as a utility player because his bat is light. His plate discipline is solid--he's drawn nearly as many walks as strikeouts in his career--but he has minimal power and had a hard time handling the low Class A Midwest League in 2013 before being demoted to the Rookie-level Pioneer League in June. He'll get another crack with Great Lakes in 2014.
Valentin has spent plenty of time in others' shadows. He's the son of longtime big leaguer Jose Valentin and played his high school baseball alongside 2012 No. 1 overall pick Carlos Correa. Valentin frequently played second base in deference to Correa, but Los Angeles will give him a chance to play shortstop after signing him for $984,700 as a sandwich pick last June. More of a prototypical, glove-first shortstop than Dodgers 2012 first-rounder Corey Seager, Valentin has a quick first step and above-average range. His hands work well and he has the arm strength to stay at short. He's capable of making flashy plays but is still learning to stay under control and not make reckless throws after committing 20 errors in 43 games in his pro debut. Naturally righthanded, Valentin didn't take up switch-hitting until late in his high school career. His lefty swing tends to get sweepy and causes him to get under the ball. He's more compact from the right side. He won't hit for a lot of power, but Los Angeles does believe he has the potential to sting the ball. On the bases, he has good speed that plays up because he's already a savvy baserunner. If Seager can stay at shortstop, Valentin could end up back at second base, but the team will develop him as a shortstop for now. He'll likely stay a level behind Seager in 2013, going to extended spring training to keep working on his swing before taking an assignment to Ogden.

Draft Prospects

The son of Jose Valentin, who spent 16 years in the big leagues, Jesmuel has grown up around the game and spent plenty of time around major league clubhouses. Jesmuel has a similar build to his father at 5-foot-10 and 175 pounds. He's primarily a shortstop, but plays a lot of second base in deference to his high school teammate at Puerto Rico Baseball Academy, Carlos Correa. He'll likely get a shot to play shortstop in pro ball and has the defensive versatility to play all over the diamond, but many scouts believe he's best suited for the keystone. Valentin is a steady defender with a strong arm and is a solid-average runner with good instincts on the bases. His tools play up because of his hard-nosed approach and instincts for the game. At the plate, he has a line-drive approach, and his strong forearms allow him to spray the ball from gap to gap with authority. Valentin projects more as a doubles hitter than a slugger, but he does have the strength and bat speed to hit the ball out of the park. A natural righthanded hitter, he has been switch-hitting for about a year and half and is still working to feel comfortable as a lefty.

Minor League Top Prospects

The Dodgers traded Valentin to the Phillies during the season, including him as one of two players to be named for righthander Roberto Hernandez. Before departing Great Lakes in mid-August, he impressed as arguably the most talented of a solid group of MWL second basemen. The son of former big league shortstop Jose Valentin, Jesmuel played primarily second base in high school in deference to teammate Carlos Correa, and he has more skills than tools. He is an average runner and an average defender at the keystone with an average arm. Valentin, however, shows a short stroke from both sides of the plate with surprising power. While on the bases, he's an opportunistic basestealer thanks to good reads and jumps. Multiple scouts project him as a future everyday big league second baseman thanks to his ability to hit for average, draw his share of walks and produce potentially average power.