2025 Cleveland Guardians Prospect Scouting Report: #23 OF George Valera
Can Valera get healthy and finally earn a chance in the majors
Bio
Age (2025 season): 24
Acquired: International Free Agent (2017)
2024 Level: Triple-A
Height: 5’11
Weight: 195
Bats: Left
Throws: Left
2025 Scouting Grades
Hit: 40
Power: 55
Speed: 45
Defense: 45
Arm: 55
Overall: 40
Risk: High
ETA: 2025
First Impression
Average corner type build. Well built, lean frame. Looks the part a little for a moderately sized corner bat. Smooth looking swing on the surface.
What Makes Valera Fun
Valera once appeared to be the Guardians top prospect, the best corner outfield prospect they’ve had in awhile with power, patience, some speed, and solid defender with a big arm. At this best, there’s a rhythmic looking swing with power to the pull side. There was enough speed to project for low-double-digit steals, the ability to draw walks and a good throwing arm from right field. All of those tools are presumably still in there for Valera and there may be some healthy version that can tap into some of them to an extent. It’s a very pull-oriented and lift type swing from a wide hitting base. There’s all fields power.
What Could Hold Valera Back
At this point, what is holding Valera back is mostly injuries. He’s gone through hamstring issues, core muscle issues, hamate issues, and now surgery for a torn patella tendon. On top of that, Valera has looked to have something of a grooved swing, where he struggles to get to pitches up in the zone and down and in. He makes good reads but struggles with routes sometimes in the outfield and really only profiles as a corner only now, which he always was mostly. The good arm still exists. The injuries have probably taken any sense of a running game away from Valera. High heat and low breaking stuff tend to get him in trouble with his swing and swing back.
Key Metric
21.8% - Valera has always been a patient, sometimes borderline passive type hitter. He didn’t chase out of the zone last year and this range would be a pretty good one in the majors. He makes enough zone contact too where he could keep pitchers in the zone to do enough damage with this discipline.
Intangibles
Work ethic and humbleness have never been an issue for Valera. He and his family have always put the work in to get where he’s gotten to and he’s still working to get past injuries to find his major league future. It’s not easy to work back from setbacks like that but Valera doesn’t seem to be too phased by it.
Future
Maybe somewhat shockingly, Valera is expected to be mostly healthy at spring training and will have a chance to be in major league camp to make a case for the right field spot that has been open forever. Jhonkensy Noel, Will Brennan and Chase DeLauter will all be eyeing to stake a claim to it, but this is Valera’s last chance to get in on it too. He was granted an extra option year due to injury time missed. It seems unlikely he’ll open 2025 in the majors, but there’s a real competition for right field time in Columbus, too and he’ll be fighting for a major league chance either way. At this point, Valera tracks more like a platoon power over a hit right fielder with a good arm who can draw some walks. There’s still value here if he’s healthy, which has long been the question, but it’s clear there star level upside most thought was coming (here included) has faded.
Role/Risk
40//High - Platoon three true outcome power/patience outfielder with a good arm and injury questions