Infielder becomes third player in franchise history to receive honor
(Central Islip, N.Y., Oct. 11, 2018) – The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball today announced that Long Island Ducks infielder Jordany Valdespin has been named the league’s 2018 Player of the Year.
“We would like to congratulate Jordany on earning this outstanding honor,” said Ducks President/GM Michael Pfaff. “While there were many deserving candidates for this award, Jordany consistently showed his ability to be one of the top players in the Atlantic League throughout the season.”
Valdespin led the Atlantic League with 154 hits, 94 runs scored and seven triples during the 2018 season while ranking second in batting average at .3377, just .0007 from the batting title. The four-year MLB veteran was also among the league’s Top 5 in several other categories, finishing second in on-base percentage (.399) and total bases (222), third in stolen base percentage (.857) and fifth in slugging percentage (.487). In 113 regular season games, he totaled 12 home runs, 55 RBIs, 18 doubles and 46 walks.
Additionally, the Dominican Republic native posted the longest on-base streak in the league this past season at 32 consecutive games from June 4th to July 14th. He was selected to play in the Atlantic League All-Star Game, held at Long Island’s Bethpage Ballpark on July 11th, and went 1-for-3 with a walk and a stolen base in the game. The 30-year-old was also named the league’s Co-Player of the Month for April/May after leading the league in hits (45), runs (29), total bases (73), extra-base hits (17), and at bats (131) in that span. He was voted by fans as the Delmonte-Smelson Team MVP in September and was chosen as the Atlantic League’s Post-Season All-Star second baseman earlier this week.
Valdespin becomes the third player in franchise history to receive the honor. Lew Ford most recently claimed the award in 2014 after breaking the Atlantic League record for hits in a single season with 189 while becoming the first player in league history to play in all 140 games during the regular season. Ray Navarrete was the first Duck to garner Player of the Year honors after he led the league in RBIs (96), hits (164), runs (106), extra-base hits (66) and doubles (39) during the 2009 season.
CLICK HERE to see who was chosen as the Atlantic League’s Pitcher of the Year, Gold Glove Defensive Player of the Year and Manager of the Year.
The Long Island Ducks are members of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and play their home games at Bethpage Ballpark. For further information, call (631) 940-DUCK or visit www.liducks.com.
About The Atlantic League of Professional Baseball (ALPB)
The Atlantic League has been a leader in professional baseball and a gateway to Major League Baseball since 1998. Over 40 million fans have attended Atlantic League games and more than 900 players and 70 managers and coaches have joined MLB organizations directly from the ALPB. The Atlantic League emphasizes winning baseball games, showcasing the talent of top-caliber players and offering affordable family entertainment.
For more information, please visit www.atlanticleague.com.
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