The Cleveland Guardians are relying on George Valera to provide some pop in their lineup, but one prediction is uncertain about that possibility.
George Valera is one of the young players the Cleveland Guardians are extremely high on heading into the 2026 season, and it’s easy to see why.
The 25-year-old was considered the top prospect in Cleveland’s farm system not too long ago and made his presence felt in his first big-league stint last September. In his first 48 plate appearances, the outfielder logged a 113 wRC+ and was even responsible for a massive home run in Game 2 of the ALWS.
While all of that is great, it still remains to be seen how Valera fares over a full 162-game season, and FanGraphs’ well-known ZiPS projection model believes there will be somewhat of a cooldown for Valera next season, compared to where he ended 2025.
The prediction model is projecting Valera to finish next season with a .236/.313/.393 slash line, coming out to an OPS+ of 95, or five percent worse than the average MLB-hitter. In terms of typical counting stats, ZiPS sees Valera finishing the season with 25 extra-base hits, 13 of those being doubles and 11 being home runs.
Knowing the type of player Valera has been at the minor league level, the slugging numbers feel a little low for Valera. The 25-year-old has always been known for his power, and has a .428 slugging percentage in four seasons at Triple-A.
Yes, there will likely be an adjustment period for the rookie, and strikeouts remain a concern, but a slugging percentage under .400 feels incredibly low for Valera.
That said, getting the most out of Valera will likely come down to whether Cleveland can find a platoon partner for him in right field. The left-handed hitter is projected to do most of his damage off right-handed pitching, with ZiPS forecasting him to have a .419 slugging percentage against righties.
Perhaps ZiPS sees Valera facing his fair share of southpaws, given the current makeup of Cleveland’s roster, which could be leading to lower slugging numbers.
If Valera does finish the 2026 season with these stats, the Guardians likely wouldn’t be upset with this production, but they’d likely be hoping for a little bit more, especially on the slug side of things.
If the power-hitter is going to carry a high strikeout rate, Valera must be able to damage when he does get a hold of the ball. ZiPS clearly isn’t too confident in his ability to do that, but hopefully Valera can prove it wrong next season.
Category: General Sports
