The Tigers already have one Rookie of the Year frontrunner in Kevin McGonigle, but Eduardo Valencia has made sure he belongs in the same conversation for 2027.
McGonigle has been impossible to miss since his debut in March. The 22-year-old has an OPS over .800, along with 18 home runs, 72 RBI and 95 walks, and he has separated himself as the clear favorite in the American League race.
Valencia, though, has pushed his way into the picture with a late surge that has only strengthened his case. The Tigers’ young catcher did not look overwhelmed by big-league pitching at all, and his production has kept climbing instead of fading.
Over his last 15 games, Valencia is hitting .385/.448/.635 with an OPS of 1.083. He also delivered one of the memorable swings of the stretch when he launched a two-run walk-off homer on Justin Verlander day.
DID IT FOR JV !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pic.twitter.com/iBsZC0CFvA
Valencia was initially viewed by some as a player who might cool off once the sample grew, but that never happened. If anything, he got better every time he stepped into the box.
The 26-year-old was brought to the Tigers’ clubhouse as the backup catcher to Dillon Dingler, and Dingler is not going anywhere. That has made Valencia’s role pretty straightforward: when he is not catching, he needs to be in the lineup as the designated hitter.
He appeared in 44 games, spending more time at DH than behind the plate, and the bat kept playing. Three three-hit games over his last 11 contests underscored just how well he handled the opportunity.
Valencia’s rookie status also keeps him in the 2027 conversation, unlike Max Clark, who has lost rookie eligibility. A player has to have had fewer than 130 at-bats in the majors the year before to remain a rookie the next season, and Valencia was held at 129, which leaves him eligible.
For the Tigers, the formula is simple: if a player produces, there is room for him. Valencia has done exactly that, and his first full season in the majors should be worth watching.
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