Damon Valdez brings freshman pop, pro-ready size, and real catching upside at Long Beach State
In the 2026 season, Long Beach State freshman catcher Damon Valdez has shown early offensive pop and situational value, including a .200 average with 21 hits, 10 RBIs, and a .463 slugging percentage, while also flashing multi-hit and RBI games against San Jose State, Washington State, UC Davis, and UC San Diego[5][7][9][14]. At 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds, he already has the frame scouts like behind the plate, and his prep résumé stands out: he threw out 21 of 41 would-be basestealers over his final two high school seasons and earned second-team All-League plus team Defensive Player of the Year honors[1].
