Cesar Valdez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Arizona Diamondbacks #7 prospect in 2009
  The Diamondbacks signed Valdez at the relatively old age of 20 in 2005, but he has moved quickly since. He broke out in 2008, going 13-8, 3.14 between two levels to win Arizona's minor league pitcher of the year award and a spot on the 40-man roster. Valdez's changeup is a legitimate plus pitch, with splitter action that generates swings and misses. He backs it with a sinker/slider combination, sitting around 90 mph and touching 92 with good movement on his fastball. He always has been a strike-thrower, and he has improved his fastball command and his ability to repeat his delivery. He has a knack for pitching and knows not to attack hitters, particularly by adding and subtracting velocity. Valdez has the repertoire of a pitcher who's reliable more than overpowering. His results in Double-A weren't nearly as good as in high Class A--though he had 10-strikeout games at both levels--indicating he needs to sharpen his command further. While he doesn't have top-end stuff, Valdez has enough weapons to get through a major league lineup as a back-of-the-rotation starter. He'll return to Mobile to start the season but will move up quickly if he handles Double-A hitters.