St. John’s freshman Pop Valdes Jr. brings local grit, infield versatility, and a polished bat
Roberto “Pop” Valdes Jr. is a 2026 freshman INF for St. John’s from Bay Shore, N.Y., and his appeal is pretty simple: he arrives as a fundamentally sound, multi-position infielder with legit high-school production and a reputation for doing the little things right. In high school, he hit .460 as a senior, finished with 97 career hits, and was ranked 14th in the Northeast, while also serving as a captain and playing shortstop, third base, and second base. If your team wants a steady, local, right-handed infielder with baseball IQ and positional flexibility, he’s a fit.
