George Valera’s Projected 2026 Stats With Guardians

Key Highlights

• 1, 2025, in Cleveland. 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. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementYes, 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. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf 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.