George Valera

George Valera

23-Year-Old OutfielderOF
Cleveland Guardians AAA
7-Day IL
Injury Knee
Est. Return 4/1/2025
2024 Fantasy Outlook
A generous outlook would be that 2023 was a lost season for Valera and he'll rebound this year. The 23-year-old outfielder missed time with wrist and hamstring injuries and also served a six-game suspension from an altercation with an opposing player at Triple-A. He once seemed poised to eventually be a regular in Cleveland's outfield, but that's looking less likely after he slashed .211/.343/.375 as an age-appropriate hitter in the International League. Valera was once a center fielder, but he now seems best suited for left field, especially on the defense-focused Guardians. That means he'll need to rake, and he does still have above-average raw power and he's logged walk rates north of 12 percent at every stop since the beginning of the 2022 season and for the majority of his professional career. We'll give him one more year as a legitimate prospect, but another underwhelming year at the dish against Triple-A pitching could cost him his spot on Cleveland's 40-man roster. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Rest of Season
From Preseason
$Signed a one-year contract with the Guardians in March of 2024.
Will undergo surgery on right knee
OFCleveland Guardians  AAA
Knee
September 16, 2024
Valera was diagnosed with a patellar tendon rupture in his right knee and will undergo surgery Wednesday, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports. He's expected to require a 6-to-9-month recovery period.
ANALYSIS
Valera was placed on Triple-A Columbus' 7-day injured list Friday due to what was initially listed as a right knee strain, but further tests revealed a more serious injury. The 23-year-old will finish his season in Triple-A with a slash line of .248/.337/.452 with six stolen bases, 17 home runs and 50 RBI across 374 plate appearances.
Read More News
Batting Stats
Loading Batting Stats...
Minor League Game Log
calculator icon
Calculate Stats Over Time
Just click on any two dates.
Loading Minor League Batting Game Log...
Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
Loading Advanced Batting Stats...
Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
Loading Games Played by Position...
Loading MLB Defensive Stats...
Batted Ball Stats
Loading Batted Ball Stats...
Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
Want more matchup stats?
Loading Matchup Stats...
Our full team depth charts are reserved for RotoWire subscribers.
Subscribe Now
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring George Valera See More
Farm Futures: Notable MiLB Assignments
208 days ago
James Anderson breaks down this year's most notable minor-league assignments, including the Rangers aggressively sending toolsy infielder Sebastian Walcott to High-A as an 18-year-old.
Farm Futures: Rookie Hitter Rankings 2.0
272 days ago
James Anderson releases volume 2.0 of his rookie hitter tiers for 2024 fantasy value only, in which Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte remains in the top spot.
Farm Futures: Rookie Hitter Rankings 1.0
349 days ago
Version 1.0 of James Anderson's rookie hitter rankings for 2024 fantasy baseball leagues, in which Reds third baseman Noelvi Marte is vying for the top spot.
Three Up, Three Down: Guardians, Tigers, Royals
356 days ago
Chris Crawford covers three AL Central organizations in his offseason review of which prospects stood out the most (for good or bad) in 2023.
Top 400 Prospect Rankings Update
September 1, 2023
James Anderson answers questions from subscribers about his updated top 400 prospect rankings, including an ETA and 2024 expectations for Jackson Holliday in Baltimore.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
Valera wasn't bad in 2022, but he isn't trending in the right direction after his age-21 season. The left-handed slugger hit for plenty of power (30.1 Hard%, .463 SLG, 24 HR), but his .250 average and 25.6 K% across Double-A and Triple-A weren't ideal marks for a player with his pedigree. As has always been the case, Valera has more value in OBP leagues (.353 OBP, 13.1 BB%) than AVG leagues. There is still a chance he will do more than enough at the plate to profile in left field or at designated hitter. However, Cleveland all of a sudden has a crowded depth chart in the upper levels, so Valera will have to earn his opportunities. Any speed contributions from Valera in the majors will be a bonus.
A well-known prospect since being a prized international signee on July 2, 2017, Valera finally got a chance to play a full minor-league season in 2021 and he broke out in a big way. He hit .260/.405/.505 with 19 home runs, 11 steals, an 18.2 BB% and a 24.2 K% in 86 games as a 20-year-old at High-A and Double-A. It's easy to see where the appeal lies with Valera, as anyone who can hit for significant power while also walking over 15% of the time at age-appropriate levels has a chance to eventually profile as a middle-of-the-order force. He suffered an oblique strain after one week of play but showed no ill effects when he returned after four weeks. Valera is an average runner who is a bat-first player all the way, but fortunately he has a decent chance to hit enough to profile in left field. The left-handed hitter showed pronounced splits (.751 OPS vs. LHP, .946 OPS vs. RHP), and he will need to be passable against same-handed pitching to avoid sitting against at least some lefties. Already added to the 40-man roster, Valera will likely return to Double-A for his age-21 season before getting a midseason bump to Triple-A, which will set up an early 2023 MLB debut.
Valera is trending up thanks to a strong showing at Cleveland's alternate training site. He had played just six games above short-season ball when he was added to the 60-man player pool, but Valera held his own next to Double-A and Triple-A players all summer. He fell into some bad habits in 2019, selling out for power at times, and it may have helped that he was learning and developing in a controlled environment at the alternate site where he could receive the best coaching and instruction the club had to offer. As Valera's body has matured, he no longer projects to steal double-digit bases or stick in center field, so it will be all about him hitting enough to profile in left field. He has a good eye at the plate and should grow into plus power, so the tools are there for him to develop into a middle-of-the-order run producer. Look for him to spend most of his age-20 season at High-A.
One of the top prospects from the July 2, 2017 international signing class, Valera was able to log his first healthy season, spending most of the year as the second-youngest hitter in the New York-Penn League before getting a brief taste of the Midwest League. He ranked third in the NYPL in BB% (15.4) and sixth in ISO (.210). He was only 18, but his .236 AVG and 27.7 K% were still a little disappointing -- a potentially plus hit tool was supposed to be his calling card. Valera is very capable of using the whole field and still projects to make contact at a solid clip, but he may have sold out for power at times. He is thicker than he was when he signed and has slowed down as a result, which means his bat needs to be good enough to profile in left field (he has a fringe-average arm). Valera's development remains fluid, but he clearly has the upside to be a middle-of-the-order run producer.
A year ago many evaluators viewed Valera as the second best hitter from the July 2, 2017 international signing class, behind Wander Franco, who is now a top five prospect in baseball. What should have been a buzz-worthy pro debut for Valera was cut short when he broke his hand after just six AZL games. He underwent surgery in July, and will be ready to make up for lost time in spring training. While Valera was signed out of the Dominican Republic, he grew up in New York and did not move to the D.R. until he was 13, so he did not deal with the same cultural adjustments that most 16-year-old J-2 signees are faced with. Given how advanced he is at the plate, the Indians could realistically send him to the AZL, the New York-Penn League or even Low-A if he really impresses this spring. Valera projects as a center fielder with a plus hit tool. He should eventually develop plus power while chipping in 10-to-20 steals in his early MLB seasons.
More Fantasy News
Goes on IL
OFCleveland Guardians  AAA
Knee
September 13, 2024
Triple-A Columbus placed Valera on its 7-day injured list Friday due to a right knee strain.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Cleared for season debut
OFCleveland Guardians  AAA
May 1, 2024
Triple-A Columbus reinstated Valera (hamstring) from its 7-day injured list Wednesday.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Opens season on shelf
OFCleveland Guardians  AAA
Hamstring
April 3, 2024
Triple-A Columbus placed Valera (hamstring) on its 7-day injured list Friday.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Sent down to Triple-A
OFCleveland Guardians  AAA
Hamstring
March 8, 2024
Valera (hamstring) was optioned to Triple-A Columbus by the Guardians on Friday.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Strains hamstring
OFCleveland Guardians  AAA
Hamstring
February 24, 2024
Valera is expected to miss a few weeks due to a strained hamstring, Mandy Bell of MLB.com reports.
ANALYSIS
Subscribe now to instantly reveal our take on this news.
Latest Fantasy Rumors
Struggling at Triple-A
OFCleveland Guardians  AAA
September 3, 2023
Valera owns a .208 batting average with just three home runs through 246 Triple-A plate appearances this season.
ANALYSIS
Valera has stolen only one base as well, and he's never exceeded 10 stolen bases across five years in the minors. With speed a non-factor in his prospect profile, Valera rebounding at the dish is a critical next step. The 22-year-old had his right hamate bone removed last offseason, which could be a tough factor to overcome given his prolonged hitting struggles.
See All MLB Rumors