| Framber Valdez | |
|---|---|
| Free agent | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born: (1993-11-19)November 19, 1993 (age 32) Palenque,Dominican Republic | |
Bats: Right Throws: Left | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 21, 2018, for the Houston Astros | |
| MLB statistics (through 2025 season) | |
| Win–loss record | 81–52 |
| Earned run average | 3.36 |
| Strikeouts | 1,053 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Framber Valdez (born November 19, 1993) is a Dominican professionalbaseballpitcher who is a free agent. He has previously played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for theHouston Astros. Valdez signed with the Astros as an internationalfree agent in 2015, and made his MLB debut in 2018.
Nicknamed "La Grasa" (Spanish for "grease" or "fat," affectionately used in Dominican culture to denote a very stylish person) 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-seasonquality starts. The Astros won that year'sWorld Series, the first championship for Valdez, who was the winning pitcher in both Game 2 and the decisive Game 6.
Framber Valdez was born inPalenque,San Cristóbal Province, Dominican Republic.[2] He started pitching at age 16.[3]
Valdez signed with theHouston Astros as an internationalfree agent on March 19, 2015, for a $10,000bonus.[4] At age 21, he was five years older than most amateur free agent signings from his country.[3] Two Astrosscouts 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 nearGuayacanes.[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Valdez had had verbal agreements with seven teams prior to signing with the Astros, but each offer was withdrawn after the results of his physical revealed that he might requireulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, also known as "Tommy John surgery." Indeed, as a teenager, team after team declined to sign him for medical reasons that he "did not understand at all."[5]
Valdez made his professional debut in 2015 with theDSL Astros, going 4–1 with a 3.68 ERA over36+2⁄3 innings. He split the 2016 season between theGreeneville Astros,Tri City ValleyCats,Quad Cities River Bandits, andLancaster JetHawks, combining to go 4–5 with a 3.19 ERA over73+1⁄3 innings. He split the 2017 season between theBuies Creek Astros and theCorpus Christi Hooks, going a combined 7–8 with a 4.16 ERA over110+1⁄3 innings. Following the 2017 season, he played for theMesa Solar Sox of theArizona Fall League.[6]
He split the 2018 minor league season between Corpus Christi and theFresno Grizzlies, going a combined 6–5 with a 4.11 ERA over 103 innings.[7][8]
The Astros promoted Valdez to the major leagues for the first time on August 21,2018.[9] He made his debut that day, pitching4+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 the2019 season between theRound Rock Express and Houston. With Round Rock, he went 5–2 with a 3.25 ERA over44+1⁄3 innings. With Houston, he went 4–7 with a 5.86 ERA over70+2⁄3 innings.[12][13]
In2020, Valdez was 5–3 with a 3.57 ERA in 11 games (10 starts), in which he threw70+2⁄3 innings and struck out 76 batters (8th in the AL), and had the second-besthome 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 theHouston chapter of theBaseball Writers' Association of America (BBWAA).[16]
On September 29, 2020, in Game 1 of theAmerican League Wild Card Series, Valdez became the first relief pitcher to throw five scoreless innings in theplayoffs sinceMadison Bumgarner did so in Game 7 in the2014 World Series.[17] Valdez went 3–1 in thepostseason, which saw the Astros reach theAmerican 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.
On March 3,2021, Valdez suffered a fractured left ring finger after he was hit in the hand by aFrancisco Lindor ground ball in a spring training game.[18] He returned on May 28. He led the major leagues in ground ball rate in 2021.
In 2021, Valdez was 11–6 with onecomplete game and a 3.14 ERA over 22 starts and134+2⁄3 innings.[14]
Valdez started Game 5 of theALCS versus theBoston Red Sox atFenway 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 announcersJoe Castiglione andWill 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 apostseason game while allowing a run or fewer, and the first sinceCharles Nagy in1998.[20]
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 anOpening Day starting pitcher, recording6+2⁄3 scoreless innings in a 3–1 game.[22] He achieved his first nine-inning complete game on May 30 versus theAthletics atOakland 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 byDon Wilson,Randy Johnson, andGerrit Cole (twice). Valdez' 13 strikeouts were the first of 20 for the team, establishing a franchise record for a nine-inning game.[a][24]
Valdez was named to theMLB All-Star Game atDodger 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 sinceRoger Clemens in2004.[26]
On September 12, Valdez threw his first major league complete-gameshutout, a 7–0 win over theDetroit Tigers.[27] Through September 14, 2022, Valdez had induced the highest career ground ball rate (66.3%) of any pitcher since 1988; onlyDerek Lowe had surpassed that figure in any individual season (2002 and 2006).[28] Valdez threw 25 straightquality 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 onlyBob Gibson andJacob 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 teammateJustin Verlander, while his ERA was sixth, and 194 strikeouts were seventh,[14][35] tied withCristian Javier for the team lead.[36] Valdez tied for the major league lead in ground balldouble plays induced with 25.[37]
As starter of Game 2 of theWorld Series, Valdez struck out ninePhiladelphia Phillies batters over6+1⁄3 innings to earn his first career win in World Series play following a 5–2 Astros victory.[38] 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 thepostseason, he was 4–0 with a 1.61 ERA and .144batting average against.[39]
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.[40] Valdez drew his second consecutive Opening Day start for the Astros, tossing a scoreless outing versus theChicago White Sox.[41] He was named to the2023 MLB All-Star Game, but did not pitch in the game.[42]
On August 1, 2023, Valdezno-hit theCleveland Guardians 2–0 atMinute Maid Park, the16th 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.[43] Valdez was named ALPlayer of the Week for July 31 – August 6 following the no-hit effort, his first weekly award.[44] On August 25, Valdez departed after seven hitless innings, five walks surrendered and six strikeouts versus theDetroit Tigers; the no-hitter atComerica Park remained intact untilKerry Carpenter singled offBryan Abreu with one out in the eighth. Valdez became the seventh pitcher in history to turn two no-hit outings of at least seven innings in one season, and the first sinceMax Scherzer in 2015.[45] In his next start, Valdez heldBoston hitless untilJustin Turner singled with one out in the fourth, extending a hitless streak to10+1⁄3 innings.[46]
For the 2023 season, Valdez posted a 3.45 ERA, 12–11 W–L record, and 200 strikeouts in198+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, andwalks plus hits per inning pitched (1.126, WHIP).[14] He was 3rd in the AL with 22 double play ground balls.[47] Along withGerrit 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,[48] and his 55% groundball rate also led the AL. He was named Astros' Pitcher of the Year for the second time.[49]
In theAmerican League Division Series (ALDS) versus theMinnesota Twins, Valdez started Game 2 and pitched4+1⁄3 innings, allowed five earned on seven hits and three walks and took the loss as the Twins prevailed, 6–4.[50] Valdez started Game 2 of theALCS versus theTexas Rangers, lasting2+2⁄3 innings. He yielded five runs on six hits, including a third inning home run toJonah Heim. Valdez took the loss as the Rangers prevailed, 5–4.[51] In 3 playoff starts in 2023, Valdez surrendered 19 hits, 9.00 ERA, 1.037on-base plus slugging (OPS) over 12 innings, struck out 17 and lost all 3 outings.[52]
On January 11,2024, Valdez agreed to a $12.1 million contract for the season, avoiding salary arbitration.[53]
On August 6, Valdez nearly no-hit theTexas Rangers in a 4–2 win with8+2⁄3 no-hit innings atGlobe Life Field, only to give up a hit byCorey Seager's two-run home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth to break-up his second career no-hit bid. Additionally, he threw 5 perfect innings untilAlex Bregman threw an error in the 6th that allowed a baserunner.[54][55] Valdez departed after 7 no-hit innings on August 30 versus theKansas City Royals; however, the no-hit bid was lost when the bullpen allowed a single in the eighth inning.[56] Following the All-Star break, Valdez was 7–2 with a 1.96 ERA.[57]
For the 2024 regular season, Valdez posted a record of 2.91 ERA, 15–7 win–loss record, and 169 strikeouts in 1761⁄3 innings over 28 starts with 17 quality starts. He finished the 2024 season in 6th place of the list of ERA leaders, which he finished the season in the top 10.[58] His 15 wins ranked fifth in the AL, and he ranked 9th in WHIP (1.162), 7th in H/9 (7.146), second in HR/9 (0.664), 3rd inFielding Independent Pitching (FIP, 3.25), and 6th in championshipWin Probability Added (cWPA, 1.9). Defensively, was third among AL pitchers with 3 double plays turned,[14] and led MLB pitchers with 32 total double plays induced.[59] Further, Valdez induced the highest ground ball rate (59.8%) in the AL, the fourth-lowest OPS against (.610), allowed the highest hard-hit percentage (45.6%), and 8th-highest exit velocity (89.9 mph).[60]
In the ALWild Card Series (WCS), Valdez started Game 1 versusDetroit. He lasted4+1⁄3 innings, and surrendered three runs on seven hits, taking the loss as Houston was defeated, 3–1.[61]
Valdez received his second career All-MLB Team selection, this time for the Second Team,[57] finished seventh in the AL Cy Young balloting, and 15th as AL MVP.[62]
On January 9,2025, Valdez agreed to an $18 million salary with the Astros for the season, in his final year of arbitration eligibility.[63] Valdez made his fourth consecutive Opening Day start, tossing seven scoreless innings to lead a 3–1 win over theNew York Mets.[b][64] After having hurled nine innings on May 30 against theTampa Bay Rays with one run on three hits surrendered,batterymateYainer Díaz connected for awalk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to secure a complete-game, 2–1 victory. Valdez' effort tiedDarryl Kile's club record for lowestpitch count in a complete game (83), who did so during his no-hitter in1993.[65] Valdez recorded his 974th strikeout on June 29 versus theChicago Cubs to pass Kile for 10th place in Astros history.[66] On July 5 versus theLos Angeles Dodgers, he reached 1,000 career innings.[67] On July 29 versus theWashington Nationals, he recorded his 1,000th career strikeout when he struck outAlex Call in the third inning. With that strikeout, Valdez became the 10th pitcher in Astros history to reach 1,000 strikeouts.[68]
| Award | Category | Result / Section | No. | Year | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Houston Astros | Pitcher of the Year | 2 | 2020, 2023 | [16][49] | |
Valdez is married with three children.[69] Valdez is naturally right-handed and performs everyday tasks with his right hand; he taught himself to throw left-handed as a child knowing the value of such pitchers in baseball.[70]
During Game 2 of the 2022 World Series atMinute Maid Park, Valdez' father, José Antonio Valdéz Ramírez, witnessed his son pitch for the first time in the major leagues. Valdez Ramirez had not traveled previously to see him play due to afear of flying.[71]
Valdez is aChristian. He donated $100,000 to help build a church in his hometown.[72]
| Awards and achievements | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | No-hitter pitcher August 1, 2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Houston AstrosOpening Daystarting pitcher 2022—2025 | Succeeded by Incumbent |
