Let’s get the nots out of the way:
John Valente is not tall. He does not have a big arm. He is not a speedster. He does not have much hype. He does not hit many home runs. And he is not a high draft pick.
Nope, none of those things.
And that shouldn’t matter.
Because Valente is something far more important: He is the most productive Detroit Tigers prospect that you have probably never heard of, one of those rare late-round picks who just keeps hitting and getting promoted.
John who?
“Johnny .300,” Riley Greene says, repeating the nickname bestowed by his teammates.
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All Valente has done in the Tigers system is hit, no matter where he has been.
Valente, 26, leads the Double-A Erie SeaWolves with a .323 average, .376 on base percentage and .868 OPS entering Monday. He is also tied with Greene with eight steals.
“He steals bases,” Erie manager Arnie Beyeler said. “He bunts. He barrels the ball and he’s a pretty good player. You know, you look back and he doesn’t fit the profile. He’s not one of the big strapping guys, not the big speed guys, not the great arm guy. All he does is catch the ball and throw you out and get on base and steal bases.”
He paused.
“And beat you.”
Give me more of those guys, please.
Guys who actually get on base and produce.
“Everybody wants to look at numbers and you look at his numbers and he has the best numbers of anybody we’ve seen so far,” Beyeler said. “Our guys call him Johnny .300. That’s a tribute to what he’s doing and what he’s done in the past. He’s just a baseball player, plays all over the field.”
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While playing at St. Johns, Valente was called a Swiss Army knife. He won the 2018 Big East Player of the Year award after hitting .360.
The SeaWolves list the right-handed hitter as a second baseman but he has played third base and all three outfield positions.
“You can trust me anywhere on the field,” he said. “I’d say second base or third base is probably where I’m most comfortable. But I know being versatile at this stage is going to be pretty big, especially trying to advance.”
On a team with high-profile players and high draft picks – Spencer Torkelson, Dillon Dingler and Greene – Valente is well liked in the clubhouse.
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“As a person, he’s a really good guy and really fun to be around,” Greene said. “He’s a really good hitter. He puts the bat to the ball like 75% of the time.”
Valente is listed as 5 feet 11 and 190 pounds. He is not ranked in the top 30 players by MLB.com or Baseball America.
Does that bother him?
Heck no.
Because he is still playing baseball.
“After COVID, life really hits you, right?” he said. “A bunch of kids had their dreams pretty much crushed, and you’re fortunate enough to be here. So I’m trying to take the best advantage of my opportunities here.”
[ Tigers top prospects: Minor league statistics for 2021 ]
The Tigers took him in the 21st round of the 2018 draft (615th overall) — the same draft that produced Casey Mize and Tarik Skubal.
“It was probably one of the happier days I’ve had, hearing my name called,” he said. “I have a jersey on my back. So it gives me the opportunity to play.”
Valente has played 165 games in the Tigers system — from rookie ball to Double A — and has a .321 average.
“It feels good,” Valente said. “I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a lot of plus counts, putting balls in play, which is what I’m really known for. Putting the ball in play this year has really helped me get on base, which has allowed me to steal bases and do the little things. Focusing gap to gap and doing the little things, getting the guy over and playing simple baseball.”
Simple baseball.
See ball, hit ball.
Catch it and throw ‘em out.
“He’s probably the guy that’s always been there in the long run, and always played in the playoffs,” Beyeler said.
A guy who just keeps playing, keeps getting put in the lineup, keeps sticking around, keeps getting promoted.
Because at some point, it doesn’t matter how big you are, or how high you are ranked or where you were drafted.
Not when you are Johnny .300.
Contact Jeff Seidel: jseidel@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @seideljeff. To read his recent columns, go to freep.com/sports/jeff-seidel.