2023 Mets Draft profile: John Valle

Despite pitching in the baseball hotbed of Tampa, Florida, and pitching at a high school that has produced 24 professional athletes and 9 major leaguers, most notably Hall of Famers Fred McGriff and Tony La Russa as well as 1990s/2000s stalwarts Tino Martinez and Luis Gonzalez, John Valle is something of a wildcard. The right-hander immigrated from Cuba in 2021, settling in the Tampa region. He attended and pitched for the Thomas Jefferson High School Dragons this past spring, posting a 1.37 ERA in 13 appearances over 46.0 innings. The right-hander allowed 30 hits, walking 23, striking out 44, hitting a single batter, and notching a single save. He was scheduled to pitch for the Frederick Keys of the MLB Draft League but ended up not going through with it.

The 6’4”, 195-pound right-hander has a thick, durable frame well suited for pitching. He throws from a low-three-quarters arm slot with simple, repeatable mechanics. His fastball sits in the low-90s, topping out at 94 MPH. The pitch has a bit of arm-side movement and has recorded spin rates hovering around 2500 RPM in exhibition games. He complements it with a mid-to-high-70s curveball with 11-5 break. Like his fastball, the pitch has also recorded strong spin rates in exhibition tournament games.

Valle does not have a college commitment, indicating that he will likely sign a professional contract.