Valencia makes dream debut, becomes 10th Tiger to homer in first MLB AB

DETROIT -- Eduardo Valencia spent eight years in the Tigers' farm system dreaming of a moment like Thursday, his first at-bat in the big leagues. He was a teammate of Kerry Carpenter, Riley Greene, Dane Myers and Keider Montero in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League in 2019.

“We were both [in the GCL] that whole summer,” Carpenter said. “We have had such a big bond since then. I’ve always loved him.”

Valencia was a teammate of Spencer Torkelson and Dillon Dingler at High-A West Michigan in 2021 before ending the year back in Rookie ball, such is the life of an organizational catcher.

“Eduardo’s awesome, awesome,” Dingler said.

The Venezuelan native has been through enough ups and downs in the system that would’ve beaten down many.

“Ten years ago, I didn't think I was going to sign,” Valencia said, fighting through tears. “Five years ago, I thought it was the end of my career after [Tommy John surgery], after hamstrings, after surgery on my hand. Thank God.”

The drive for a moment like Thursday kept Valencia going. And as his seventh-inning drive off Athletics reliever Hogan Harris soared towards the deepest part of Comerica Park, barely clearing the fence and Henry Bolte’s glove in center field, the moment was bigger than he could’ve dreamed.

“Baseball’s pretty cool, isn’t it?” manager A.J. Hinch said to begin his postgame press conference.

On a night when Framber Valdez tossed seven innings of one-run ball with nine strikeouts, and Jake Rogers homered for the second consecutive night, Valencia’s homer in his first Major League at-bat was the highlight of the Tigers’ 4-1 win -- for him, for his teammates, for everyone.

In almost any other circumstance, Valencia would’ve gotten the typical rookie silent treatment on his way back to the dugout. Instead, the Tigers' dugout erupted.

“I think we were too happy for him to do the silent treatment,” Carpenter laughed. “That was so cool. Oh my gosh.”

Even Justin Verlander, who played with Valencia on his rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo last month, was up and applauding.

“It says a lot about him,” said Valdez, through translation from Tigers director of Spanish communications Carlos Guillen. “He’s a good guy. He’s a fighter.”

The Tigers called up Valencia from Triple-A Toledo on Thursday to have an extra catcher available while Dingler recovers from a right hand contusion. A longtime catcher in the organization, Valencia slugged his way to prospect status last year with 24 homers and a .941 OPS last season between Triple-A Toledo and Double-A Erie, earning a 40-man roster spot and a place in Spring Training.

“He’s come a long way,” Dingler said. “It’s a good story, but he deserves it.”

No longer an organizational backstop, Valencia had become a ranked prospect. After all he had persevered to get to that point, a slow start at Triple-A wasn’t going to beat him down.

“This is an organizational win and a player win, watching him pull himself out of the early-season drought that he was in,” Hinch said. “We were really excited with what he was doing in camp, his bat speed, his exit velos, his ability to cover different pitches, just the feel for hitting, [playing] multiple positions. And then we send him off to Triple-A and he really had a rough go of it getting his season underway, but never backed down.”

The right-handed bat also earned Valencia a pinch-hitting role on Hinch’s bench, having replaced Jahmai Jones on the 26-man roster. Once the A’s went to Harris to begin the seventh, Valencia stepped to the plate to hit for Carpenter.

“I felt like he was going to hit a homer,” Carpenter said.

Valencia got a 2-1 fastball over the plate and didn’t miss it.

“I knew I hit it good,” Valencia said, “but I know Comerica is a big park. I was just thinking in my mind, ‘Go, go, go, please.’ Thank God the ball was gone.”

Valencia is the first Tiger to homer in his first big-league at-bat since Akil Baddoo on April 4, 2021, and the 10th player to do it in franchise history. Other Tigers to do it include Sergio Alcantara (Sept. 6, 2020), Daniel Norris (Aug. 19, 2015), Reggie Sanders (Sept. 1, 1974), Gene Lamont (Sept. 2, 1970), Bill Roman (Sept. 30, 1964), Gates Brown (June 19, 1963), George Vico (April 20, 1948) and Hack Miller (April 23, 1944).

“I'm so happy for him,” Carpenter said. “Like, if there's one guy in the world who deserves that, it's that guy. And it just felt like he was going to hit a homer, because he's not scared of the moment. He's out there playing baseball like it's Field 3 of the GCL like seven years ago.”