Jordany Valdespin can do it all. He can hit for average and pop. He can steal bases. He can play just about any position. He’s the Mets’ occasional leadoff hitter and fantasy owners should keep a close eye on him as a fantasy baseball sleeper as the season moves along.
The 2013 Mets are nothing more than a prelude to the 2014 Mets. While they are hovering around .500 now, they will inevitably finish behind the Braves and Nationals – likely the Phillies as well. This season is all about building the 2014 Mets and Valdespin figures to be a significant part of the future. That’s why ultimately guys like Marlon Byrd, Mike Baxter, and Justin Turner will all give way to the up-and-coming Valdespin to play every day, or at least against righties.
As it stands right now, Valdespin is batting .275 with two RBI, three steals, eight runs, a double, and a triple in 40 at-bats. Last season, Valdespin batted .241 while putting up eight homers, 26 RBI, 28 R, 10 steals, nine doubles, and a triple in his first 191 Major League at-bats. None of those numbers are particularly impressive because he fell off as the year went on. He may have batted .241 in his first big league action but he owns a .283 career batting average in the minors and won a part-time leadoff hitter job after batting .313 with four homers, nine RBI, 13 runs, a triple, and a steal in spring training.
He is improving steadily and manager Terry Collins has taken notice. Valdespin has been a better player every single year in his minor league days.
In his first 144 minor league games, Valdespin hit just 11 homers and stole 30 bases. In his last 173 minor league games, Valdespin hit 23 homers, 34 doubles, stole 47 bases, drove in 83 runs, and scored 91 times. He’s also played at short, second, and all three outfield positions and still owns a solid .970 fielding percentage.
There are downsides to his game. He doesn’t walk. He’s walked just twice in 16 games this season and a mere 96 times in his entire 410 game minor league career. At the same time, when Jose Reyes came up he never walked either.
He gets caught stealing more than one would like. He’s been caught four times in 17 big league attempts. In his last 39 games in the minors, he was caught eight times in 18 attempts. The previous year he was caught 18 times in 55 attempts.
He’s raw. He has undeniable ability but at 25 he is just getting comfortable in his Major League skin. This season will be huge for Valdespin and fantasy owners who invest in him will reap the rewards if the leadoff spot proves a good fit. He likely will never hit lefties well, no lefty on the Mets ever does, but righties better watch out.
What can we expect in 2013? After eight home runs and 10 steals in a 191 at-bats last season, I think we can expect 13-16 home runs and 25-30 steals. He should have plenty of doubles with the huge gaps at Citifield that allowed even Daniel Murphy to hit 40 last season. His average has always been in the high-.200s and his current .275 is right around where he should be. The key will be his patience. If he wants to excel as a leadoff hitter, he needs to get on base more. If the Mets want him to excel, they will play him against every right-handed starter they face.
