Brandon Valenzuela Issues Statement After Blue Jays Rookie Year

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Brandon Valenzuela Blue Jays

Toronto Blue Jays catcher Brandon Valenzuela issued a statement after his rookie season playing for the club.

The 26-year-old Valenzuela made his MLB debut this season for the Blue Jays and went on to have a solid rookie campaign for Toronto, batting .226 with nine home runs, a .688 OPS, and 1.6 bWAR on the strength of a strong defensive season behind the plate for the Blue Jays.

Although his bat slowed down during the stretch run, Valenzuela was invaluable for the team during the summer, when he was one of the team’s best hitters during a down year for many of the club’s offensive players.

Brandon Valenzuela Issues Statement to Blue Jays Fans

Now that the season is over, Valenzuela issued a statement thanking Blue Jays fans for all of their support in his rookie year.

“What a season. Forever grateful to Toronto for the opportunity to live this dream, and to my family, friends, teammates, coaches, and everyone who supported me and believed in me along the way. My first season in the big leagues was one I’ll never forget. So much learned, so much to be grateful for, and still so much work to do,” Valenzuela wrote on his Instagram.

Brandon Valenzuela’s Rookie Season Was a Success

The Blue Jays acquired Valenzuela from the San Diego Padres for infielder Will Wagner at the 2025 MLB trade deadline in a move that didn’t move the needle when it was first made.

But after Blue Jays starting catcher Alejandro Kirk went down for the team early in the season, Valenzuela got called up and wound up playing in 91 games for Toronto this year, something very few would have predicted heading into the season.

He was so good for Toronto that the team decided to trade former backup catcher Tyler Heinemen to the Los Angeles Angels to make room for Valenzuela on the roster as the team’s full-time backup catcher once Kirk returned from his injury.

Next season, look for Valenzuela to once again back up Kirk and potentially play a little bit more at DH with George Springer likely gone in free agency.