Luis Valbuena Stats & Scouting Report

AB	3148
AVG	.226
OBP	.31
SLG	.394
HR	114

Full name Luis Adan Valbuena
Born 11/30/1985 in Sucre, Venezuela
Died 12/06/2018 in Yaracuy, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 215 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School La Cordillera
Debut 09/02/2008

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

The Indians played a small part in a three-team, 12-player trade at the Winter Meetings, sending Franklin Gutierrez to the Mariners and receiving Joe Smith from the Mets and Valbuena from Seattle. Valbuena made strides after a difficult 2007 season in Double-A by returning there, raising his OBP by 70 points and increasing his power output. He earned a promotion to Triple-A at the end of June, and then played regularly for the Mariners in September, pushing Jose Lopez to first base. With a line-drive stroke and a knack for making contact, Valbuena is geared to hit for average with occasional power to the gaps. On the flip side, he has just enough juice to get himself in trouble when he gets pull-happy. He stands out with his bat speed, contact-hitting skills and for his ability to work the count. Valbuena always has handled the bat well and shown a good eye at the plate, but his recent defensive improvement has raised his chances of playing regularly in the majors. While his speed is average at best, he shows good range to both sides and has a strong arm at second base. He turns the double-play pivot quickly and efficiently. Valbuena is ready for an expanded big league role and has a higher offensive ceiling than Cleveland's 2008 starter, Asdrubal Cabrera.
Valbuena hit just .224 in April in his first shot at full-season ball, but hit .305 in the Midwest League the rest of the way, then finished the season in high Class A as a 20-year-old. He has a very good approach at the plate, handles the bat well and draws walks. He also has some pull-side power, which will be more evident as he gets stronger. Valbuena has slightly below-average speed coming out of the box and is an average runner underway. He doesn't have a lot of range at second base, but he makes the routine play. He encouraged the Mariners with some defensive improvements in 2006, as he looked lighter on his feet and slicker on his double-play pivot. Valbuena is comparable to Yung-Chi Chen; Chen has more power and runs better, while Valbuena is a better defender. He'll open 2007 in high Class A.
Valbuena ranked as the No. 6 prospect in the short-season Northwest League in 2005 and earned all-star honors after leading the league in homers and RBIs. The year before, he won the MVP award and batting title in the Rookie-level Venezuelan Summer League. Of his predecessors as standout Everett middle infielders, he most closely resembles Ismael Castro, who hasn't enjoyed much success in full-season ball. Valbuena, who has been likened to Ray Durham, is an offensive second baseman. He has a quick bat and makes good contact, though Everett Memorial Stadium magnified his power (11 of his 12 homers last year came at home). Valbuena has average speed and defensive skills, and Seattle would like to see him improve with the glove. Though he topped NWL second basemen with a .978 fielding percentage, his hands are somewhat stiff. The Mariners trusted him enough to use him as an emergency fill-in in Triple-A last year, and they'll turn him loose in low Class A in 2006.

Minor League Top Prospects

After the Mariners pushed him to Double-A last year as a 21-year-old, Valbuena returned to West Tenn and showed improvement in all facets of the game. He finished the year playing regularly for Seattle. Valbuena has plus bat speed and handles the bat well, making frequent contact. He has a sound approach at the plate and had nearly as many walks (28) as strikeouts (32) in the SL. He has pull power, though he's more of a line-drive hitter with pop to the gaps. Managers rated Valbuena the best defensive second baseman in the league. While his speed is just average, he has good range to both sides and turns double plays well. He plays above his tools because of his overall feel for the game.
A year after placing Asdrubal Cabrera and Osvaldo Navarro on this list, Everett offered another excellent middle infielder in Valbuena. While not as slick defensively as his predecessors, Valbuena has more offensive potential and reminds Everett manager Pedro Grifol of Ray Durham. He led the NWL in homers (though 11 of them came at cozy Everett Memorial Stadium) and RBIs while ranking fourth in steals. Valbuena's quick bat and line-drive swing should produce average power for his position. He's average to a tick above defensively. He makes routine plays consistently, covers ground and turns the double play well. "Valbuena is more of an offensive player," Yakima manager Jay Gainer said. "Their park lends to hitting, but that doesn't take anything away from him. He's a solid hitter."