Astros Prospects: Enmanuel Valdez wins player of the week

Houston Astros’ Double-A infielder Enmanuel Valdez wins player of the week in the Texas League.

The Houston Astros named Enmanuel Valdez the Astros Minor League Player of the Month in April, after hitting .351 with nine extra-base hits and 16 RBI over 16 games. On Tuesday, the Texas League named the infielder the Player of the Week following a monstrous performance at the plate.

Valdez slashed to a 1.215 OPS in six games against the Frisco RoughRiders. The lefty slapped 10 hits through 27 at-bats — six being for extra bases. While striking out only four times, Valdez drove in eight runs, scoring eight of his own.

In Sunday’s contest, Valdez tallied five RBI with two homers, boosting his OPS to 1.065 to end the week. Launching eight homers on the year, the lefty is walking at a higher rate, too. In 156 plate appearances, Valdez has walked 25 times to 37 strikeouts with a nearly 7% increase in walk rate compared to 2021.

The 23-year-old leads the Corpus Christi Hooks in batting average, home runs and RBI, while also being in the top-six of batting average, on-base percentage, slugging and OPS in all of the Texas League, according to a release from the team.

Playing his most innings at second base (110), Valdez also has over 100 innings at the hot corner and three starts in left field. Measuring out at 5-foot-9, Valdez doesn’t have the frame to add a reliable first baseman’s mitt to his arsenal, but with his versatility and offensive prowess, a promotion to Triple A should be on the way.

With 34 games under his belt this season, Valdez isn’t regressing. The lefty continues to border and sit north of a 1.000 OPS, and while playing three positions in Double A, the Sugar Land Space Cowboys should expect Valdez sooner than later.