Framber Valdez
Houston Astros – No. 59
Pitcher
Born: (1993-11-19) November 19, 1993
Palenque, Dominican Republic
Bats: Right
Throws: Left
MLB debut
August 21, 2018, for the Houston Astros
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Win–loss record53–34
Earned run average3.40
Strikeouts697
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Framber Valdez (born November 19, 1993) is a Dominican professional baseball pitcher for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). Valdez signed with the Astros as an international free agent in 2015, and made his MLB debut in 2018.

Nicknamed "La Grasa" by his peers for his fashion style,[1] Valdez enjoyed a banner year in 2022. That year, he became the Astros' Opening Day starter, an MLB All-Star, and an All-MLB First Team selection—each for the first time—while compiling an MLB record of 25 consecutive in-season quality starts. The Astros won that year's World Series, the first championship for Valdez, who pitched six innings in the decisive Game 6 after having won Game 2.

Early life

Framber Valdez was born in Palenque, San Cristóbal Province, Dominican Republic.[2] He started pitching at age 16.[3]

Career

Minor leagues

Valdez signed with the Houston Astros as an international free agent on March 19, 2015, for a $10,000 bonus.[4] At age 21, he was five years older than most amateur free agent signings from his country.[3] Two Astros scouts spotted him after a long day of viewing programs led by independent trainers.[4] Watching him throw only six pitches—in the beams of car headlights as darkness fell—they offered him a tryout at their Dominican academy near Guayacanes.[3] Valdez had had verbal agreements with seven teams prior to signing with the Astros, but each offer was withdrawn after the results of his physical revealed that he might require ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, also known as "Tommy John surgery." Indeed, as a teenager, team after team declined to sign him due to medical reasons that he "did not understand at all."[5]

Valdez made his professional debut in 2015 with the DSL Astros, going 4–1 with a 3.68 ERA over 36+2⁄3 innings. He split the 2016 season between the Greeneville Astros, Tri City ValleyCats, Quad Cities River Bandits, and Lancaster JetHawks, combining to go 4–5 with a 3.19 ERA over 73+1⁄3 innings. He split the 2017 season between the Buies Creek Astros and the Corpus Christi Hooks, going a combined 7–8 with a 4.16 ERA over 110+1⁄3 innings. Following the 2017 season, he played for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League.[6]

He split the 2018 minor league season between Corpus Christi and the Fresno Grizzlies, going a combined 6–5 with a 4.11 ERA over 103 innings.[7][8]

Houston Astros

2018–2020

The Astros promoted Valdez to the major leagues for the first time on August 21, 2018.[9] He made his debut that day, pitching 4+1⁄3 innings and earning the win.[10] With Houston in 2018, he went 4–1 with a 2.19 ERA over 37 innings.[11] Valdez split the 2019 season between the Round Rock Express and Houston. With Round Rock, he went 5–2 with a 3.25 ERA over 44+1⁄3 innings. With Houston, he went 4–7 with a 5.86 ERA over 70+2⁄3 innings.[12][13]

It was after the season that he was urged by Caridad Cabrera, the team director of Latin American operations to see team sports psychologist Dr. Andy Nuñez at their Dominican academy. The two soon found a strong bond with each other, with Nuñez advising him on how he should harness his emotions better with controlled breathing in tense situations. He was cited as a key presence in Valdez's improvement as a pitcher, and the two still contacted each other prior to every Valdez start.

In 2020, Valdez was 5–3 with a 3.57 ERA in 11 games (10 starts), in which he threw 70+2⁄3 innings and struck out 76 batters (8th in the AL), and had the second-best home runs per nine innings allowed (HR/9 IP) ratio in the AL (0.637).[14] He led the club in innings pitched, tied for the team lead in games won,[15] and was named Astros Pitcher of the Year by the Houston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).[16]

On September 29, 2020, in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, Valdez became the first relief pitcher to throw five scoreless innings in the playoffs since Madison Bumgarner did so in Game 7 in the 2014 World Series.[17] Valdez went 3–1 in the postseason, which saw the Astros reach the American League Championship Series (ALCS) after winning the first two rounds of the COVID-affected 2020 season. He was the winning pitcher in Game 6 of the LCS that made the Astros the second team in MLB history to force a Game 7 after trailing 3–0.

2021

On March 3, 2021, Valdez suffered a fractured left ring finger after he was hit in the hand by a Francisco Lindor ground ball in a spring training game.[18] Expected to miss months or possibly the whole season, he returned on May 28. He led the major leagues in ground ball rate in 2021.

In 2021, Valdez was 11–6 with one complete game and a 3.14 ERA over 22 starts and 134+2⁄3 innings.[14]

Valdez started Game 5 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) versus the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park. He went eight innings to earn the win in a 9–1 final, limiting Boston to one run on three hits and a walk while striking out five. At several points during the game, Red Sox radio announcers Joe Castiglione and Will Flemming commented that Valdez was rubbing the fingers of his pitching hand against his cheek and temple each time he was given a new ball, which prompted an angry response from Houston sportswriters; no accusation of cheating was filed by the Red Sox.[19]

Valdez was the seventh visiting pitcher at Fenway to go at least eight innings in a postseason game while allowing a run or fewer, and the first since Charles Nagy in 1998.[20]

2022

Valdez avoided arbitration with the Astros on March 22, 2022, agreeing on a $3 million contract for the season.[21]

On April 7, 2022, Valdez won his debut as an Opening Day starting pitcher, recording 6+2⁄3 scoreless innings in a 3–1 game.[22] He achieved his first nine-inning complete game on May 30 versus the Athletics at Oakland Coliseum, a two-hitter and 5–1 Astros win.[23] On July 3, Valdez set a new career-high with 13 strikeouts in a start versus the Angels. Twelve consecutive outs Valdez produced were via strikeout, supplanting the franchise record of nine previously accomplished by Don Wilson, Randy Johnson, and Gerrit Cole (twice). Valdez' 13 strikeouts were the first of 20 for the team, establishing a franchise record for a nine-inning game.[lower-alpha 1][24]

Valdez was named to the MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium. His 2.64 ERA ranked second on the Astros' staff and he also had pitched two complete games, tying for the major league lead.[25] He pitched in the third inning of the All-Star Game, retiring all three batters faced, and received the win when the American League scored the go-ahead run after he had finished. Valdez became the first in Astros history to receive the win in an All-Star Game, and the first to receive a decision since Roger Clemens in 2004.[26]

On September 12, Valdez threw his first major league complete-game shutout, a 7–0 win over the Detroit Tigers.[27] Through September 14, 2022, Valdez had induced the highest career ground ball rate (66.3%) of any pitcher since 1988; only Derek Lowe had surpassed that figure in any individual season (2002 and 2006).[28] Valdez threw 25 straight quality starts from April 25 to September 18, establishing the MLB record over a single season.[29] It also set the record for most consecutive total in American League history and among left-handed pitchers,[30][31][32][33] trailing only Bob Gibson and Jacob deGrom (tied at 26) for most consecutive all-time.[34]

For the 2022 regular season, Valdez produced a 2.82 ERA and 17–6 record over 31 games started. He led the AL in innings pitched (201+1⁄3), batters faced (827), complete games (3), shutouts (1), quality starts (26), and HR/9 IP (0.492), all of which were career-bests to that point. His win total placed second in the AL behind teammate Justin Verlander, while his ERA was sixth, and 194 strikeouts were seventh,[14][35] tied with Cristian Javier for the team lead.[36]

As starter of Game 2 of the World Series, Valdez struck out nine Philadelphia Phillies batters over 6+1⁄3 innings to earn his first career win in World Series play following a 5–2 Astros victory.[37] Valdez started and became the winning pitcher in the Astros' Game 6 Series clincher, working six innings while allowing one run on two hits and striking out nine to give him his first career championship. During the postseason, he was 4–0 with a 1.61 ERA and .144 batting average against.[38]

2023

Valdez agreed to a $6.8 million contract for the season with the Astros on January 13, 2023, avoiding arbitration. A $3.8 million raise, it was the largest to date for pitcher advancing from year 1 to 2 of arbitration who had yet to win a Cy Young Award.[39] Valdez drew his second consecutive Opening Day start for the Astros, tossing a scoreless outing versus the Chicago White Sox.[40] He was named to the 2023 MLB All-Star Game, but did not pitch in the game.[41]

On August 1, 2023, Valdez no-hit the Cleveland Guardians 2–0 at Minute Maid Park, the 16th no-hitter in Astros' history, the first with the minimum 27 batters faced, and first by an Astro left-hander. Needing only 93 pitches, Valdez threw 65 for strikes and struck out seven. Oscar González drew a walk as Cleveland's only baserunner and was erased by a double play. Martín Maldonado was the catcher.[42] Valdez was named AL Player of the Week for July 31–August 6 following the no-hit effort, his first weekly award.[43] On August 27, Valdez tossed seven hitless innings versus the Detroit Tigers, leaving with a no-hitter intact, but allowed five walks. He became the seventh pitcher in history to turn two no-hit outings of at least seven innings in one season, and the first since Max Scherzer in 2015.[44] In his next start, Valdez held Boston hitless until Justin Turner singled with one out in the fourth, extending a hitless streak to 10+1⁄3 innings.[45]

For the 2023 season, Valdez posted a 3.45 ERA, 12–11 W–L record, and 200 strikeouts in 198+1⁄3 innings over 31 starts. He ranked third in the AL in innings pitched, fourth in H/9 (7.5), and in seventh in each of ERA, strikeouts, and walks plus hits per inning pitched (1.126, WHIP).[14] Along with Gerrit Cole, Valdez was one of two pitchers in the league who tossed two shutouts; he also became the first Astro to lead or tie for the league lead twice in shutouts,[46] and his 55% groundball rate also led the AL. He was named Astros' Pitcher of the Year for the second time.[47]

Personal life

Valdez is married with three children.[48]

During Game 2 of the 2022 World Series at Minute Maid Park, Valdez' father, José Antonio Valdéz Ramírez, witnessed his son pitch for the first time in the major leagues. Valdez had not traveled previously to see him play due to a fear of flying.[49]

Valdez is a Christian. He donated $100,000 to help build a church in his hometown.[50]

See also

References

Footnotes
  1. ↑ In the series with Los Angeles, Astros pitching recorded 48 strikeouts to establish a major league record for strikeouts over a three-game series played without extra innings.
Sources
  1. ↑ Rome, Chandler (May 15, 2023). "Astros' Framber Valdez, 'La Grasa,' comes into his swaggy, sweet-smelling own". The Athletic. Retrieved May 28, 2023.
  2. ↑ "Framber Valdez stats". Baseball Almanac. 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 Kyle, Brad (August 21, 2018). "From Out Of Nowhere, Dominican Lefty Framber Valdez Bolsters Astros' Bullpen". The Runner Sports. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  4. 1 2 Kaplan, Jake (August 25, 2018). "Scouting Framber Valdez: The story behind the Astros' little-known left-hander". The Athletic. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  5. ↑ Lerner, Danielle (March 22, 2023). "Astros' unique approach with pitchers Valdez, Javier, Urquidy, Garcia built a mighty rotation core". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved May 20, 2023.
  6. ↑ Dunsmore, Ryan (October 10, 2017). "2017 Arizona Fall League Primer: Astros send Tucker and Alvarez to Mesa". The Crawfish Boxes. SB Nation. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  7. ↑ Sickels, John (September 4, 2018). "Thoughts on Astros prospect Framber Valdez". Minor League Ball. SB Nation. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  8. ↑ Cistulli, Carson (August 10, 2018). "The Fringe Five: Baseball's most compelling fringe prospects". FanGraphs.com. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  9. ↑ Chandler Rome (August 21, 2018). "Astros add pitcher Framber Valdez to 25-man roster". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  10. ↑ Chandler Rome (22 August 2018). "Framber Valdez helps lift Astros past Mariners in major league debut". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  11. ↑ "Framber Valdez 2018 Pitching Game Logs".
  12. ↑ RotoWire Staff (October 2, 2019). "Astros' Framber Valdez: Not on playoff roster". CBSSports.com. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  13. ↑ Jake Kaplan (June 13, 2019). "The hidden talent of Astros starter Framber Valdez". The Athletic. Retrieved October 14, 2019.
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Framber Valdez stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  15. ↑ "2020 Houston Astros statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 21, 2021.
  16. ↑ Van Doren, Kenny (October 8, 2020). "Astros: How Framber Valdez came to be a blossoming ace". Fansided. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Astros' Framber Valdez: Shines in Game 1". CBS Sports. September 29, 2020. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  18. ↑ "Surgery Recommended For Framber Valdez". MLB Trade Rumors. 4 March 2021.
  19. ↑ "Sweat, whistles and blinking lights: Red Sox broadcasters, fans accuse Astros Valdez, Alvarez of cheating in Game 5". khou.com. October 22, 2021.
  20. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (October 20, 2021). "Framber's gem lifts Astros to cusp of pennant". MLB.com. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  21. ↑ Rome, Chandler (March 22, 2022). "Astros reach deals with all arbitration-eligible players, avoiding hearings". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
  22. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (April 8, 2022). "Valdez steals Ohtani's thunder in opener win". MLB.com. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
  23. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (May 30, 2022). "'Bulldog' Valdez twirls 2-hit complete game". MLB.com. Retrieved May 31, 2022.
  24. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (July 3, 2022). "Peña walks it off with 2nd HR after Valdez, Astros fan 20". MLB.com. Retrieved July 3, 2022.
  25. ↑ Lerner, Danielle (July 10, 2022). "Astros have 5 players named to MLB All-Star Game roster". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved July 11, 2022.
  26. ↑ Van Doren, Kenny (July 20, 2022). "Framber Valdez becomes first Astros pitcher to collect All-Star Game win". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
  27. ↑ "Valdez pitches 1st shutout, Astros blank Tigers 7–0". ESPN.com. Associated Press. September 12, 2022. Retrieved September 12, 2022.
  28. ↑ Laws, Will (September 14, 2022). "The unexpected greatness of Framber Valdez". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  29. ↑ "Valdez fans 10 as Astros beat Phillies 3–2 in finale". ESPN.com. October 5, 2022. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  30. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (September 6, 2022). "Valdez delivers 23rd consecutive quality start: Workhorse lefty navigates uncharacteristically sloppy defense, but errors prove costly". MLB.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  31. ↑ @Chandler_Rome (August 31, 2022). "Framber Valdez has thrown 22 consecutive quality starts, the longest streak by a lefthanded pitcher in major league history" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  32. ↑ "Houston Astros' Framber Valdez is MLB's new ground-ball king". Fox Sports.
  33. ↑ "Red-hot Valdez makes more history in favorite jersey". MLB.com.
  34. ↑ Vita, Jack (September 13, 2022). "Astros Valdez ties deGrom for single-season quality start streak record". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  35. ↑ "MLB player pitching stats 2022". ESPN.com. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  36. ↑ "2022 Houston Astros statistics". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved October 9, 2022.
  37. ↑ Rome, Chandler (October 29, 2022). "Framber Valdez helps Astros bounce back against Phillies in World Series Game 2". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  38. ↑ Rajan, Greg (November 6, 2022). "Framber Valdez caps perfect postseason with Game 6 gem in World Series championship clincher". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved November 6, 2022.
  39. ↑ Rome, Chandler (January 13, 2023). "Astros and arbitration day: Framber Valdez agrees to $6.8 million". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved January 14, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Vaughn's double lifts White Sox over Astros 3–2 in opener". ESPN.com. Associated Press. March 30, 2023. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  41. ↑ Kawahara, Matt (July 14, 2023). "Astros' Framber Valdez uses All-Star break to recharge for second half". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 2, 2023.
  42. ↑ "Astros' Framber Valdez blanks Guardians for MLB's 3rd no-hitter". ESPN.com. Associated Press. August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  43. ↑ Rajan, Greg (August 7, 2023). "Astros' Framber Valdez named American League Player of the Week after throwing no-hitter". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  44. ↑ "Tigers rookie Parker Meadows hits first career homer in ninth to beat Astros 4–1". ESPN.com. Associated Press. August 25, 2023. Retrieved August 27, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Framber Valdez helps Astros to 7–4 win over Red Sox and first sweep at Fenway Park". ESPN.com. Associated Press. August 30, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
  46. ↑ "Yearly league leaders & records for shutouts". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved November 10, 2023.
  47. ↑ Press Release (October 6, 2023). "Houston BBWAA announces 2023 award winners". MLB.com. Retrieved October 7, 2023.
  48. ↑ Kaplan, Jake (August 27, 2020). "Small sample or a breakout? What's different about Framber Valdez". The Athletic. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
  49. ↑ McTaggart, Brian (October 29, 2022). "Dad overcomes fear of flying, Valdez overwhelms Phillies". MLB.com. Retrieved October 30, 2022.
  50. ↑ Claybourn, Cole (6 November 2022). "Faith-driven Framber Valdez helps pitch Houston Astros to World Series title". Sports Spectrum. Retrieved 7 November 2022.
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