DETROIT — In the sixth inning of another Tigers victory, Eduardo Valencia lowered his bat head and demolished a 2-2 curveball. The ball went soaring over the left-field wall, over the bullpen and into the seats. Valencia paused and twirled his bat. After so many years where others doubted him, or he doubted himself, there was no denying this one.

The home run was Valencia’s fifth of the season. He has appeared in only 16 games in the major leagues. Only two players in Tigers history, Matt Joyce and Robert Fick, have reached five home runs in fewer career games. Valencia has a 1.254 OPS in 44 major-league at-bats, proving the power and impressive exit velocities that finally got him to the big leagues are no fluke.

Valencia, 26, helped push the Tigers to a 3-0 victory against the rival Guardians on Thursday. His emergence has coincided with a youth movement that has taken over the Tigers in the days after the trade deadline. In the midst of a tense year, after a July packed with anxiety, this team suddenly feels like it can breathe again. Valencia is a key reason.

EDUARDO VALENCIA SMASHES HIS 5TH HOME RUN OF THE SEASON 💣

TIGERS LEAD 2-0. pic.twitter.com/RfCuaqJQGc

— 𝔗𝔥𝔢 𝔇𝔢𝔱𝔯𝔬𝔦𝔱 𝔗𝔦𝔪𝔢𝔰 📰 (@the_det_times) August 13, 2026

Beyond the big man’s loud bat, Valencia is a beloved teammate, someone who crossed paths with nearly everyone in the organization throughout his uneven climb to the major leagues. He played with Spencer Torkelson and Kerry Carpenter in the low minors. He played with Kevin McGonigle and Max Clark, too.

“I played with him last year in Double A, and his journey, even from then, is insane to see,” right-hander Troy Melton said recently. “Obviously, what he’s doing right now is pretty special. He’s such a good dude.”

Valencia was first signed as an 18-year-old Venezuelan in 2018, for a mere $10,000. One of his first friends in the organization was Keider Montero, the bulldog right-hander who threw 6 1/3 shutout innings in Thursday’s win. Valencia and Montero played together in the Dominican Summer League. In the first game they played stateside in the Gulf Coast League, Montero pitched, and Valencia was behind the plate.

“I know what he’s gone through his whole career,” Montero said. “I know how hard it is. And I’m proud of him.”

Valencia started at DH and was not behind the plate Thursday, but before the game, he hugged his old friend.

“You’re going to be good today,” Valencia told him.

Valencia is the type of personality who injects life and personality wherever he goes, but that does not mean he’s forgotten his own moments of worry. He spent his first few years in the Tigers’ system as an unknown player in the low rungs of the minors. The COVID season cost him a year of development. He had Tommy John surgery and missed parts of 2023 and 2024. There were hamstring injuries and a surgery on his hand. He spent five years in the U.S. and only played one game above High A.

At times, Valencia thought his career was nearing an end.

A few people in the Tigers’ player-development pipeline, however, saw something in the strong kid with the aggressive swing. That “something” emerged last season when Valencia blasted 24 home runs across Double-A Erie and Triple-A Toledo.

Defense was always a bigger question, and in some ways still is. Valencia played first base and catcher, and not always to rave reviews. Still, he slowly took instruction and smoothed out some of the rough edges in his performance behind the plate. His ability to control the running game still needs work. He might never be a plus blocker behind the dish, but pitchers seem to admire his preparation and trust his gamecalling. Already in the major leagues, Valencia has caught two shutouts.

“I’ve always said I believe before I doubt,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “When he got here, I believed he was going to be part of this team and part of helping the pitching staff, but I think every player needs to feel it. … He’s obviously had an incredible first handful of games. That builds that confidence to where I have zero issue with him, but more importantly, he has zero concerns himself.”

Valencia made his MLB debut July 9 and clubbed a pair of home runs. His tear-soaked postgame interview was the stuff of legend.

“If there’s one guy in the world who deserves that, it’s that guy,” Carpenter had told reporters that evening.

Valencia was sent down July 20 but recalled on the 27th, and he has continued hitting ever since. He is an emotional human who forms a heart with his hands and points to his wife in the stands after home runs. Still, the longer he has been with the Tigers, the more Hinch has admired Valencia’s capacity to stay calm.

“Our Triple-A staff raved about him and his presence and the methodical nature of how he goes about his business,” Hinch said. “It’s just been the same here. We haven’t seen him wowed. He hasn’t been overwhelmed. … I think some of that transition has to be credited to the build-up. A lot of it also has to be credited to the preparation and his personality and his ability to just play baseball.”

Here we are in August, and Valencia is proving his storybook debut was no fluke. He’s part of a team that has clawed its way back to the playoff hunt. After striving so hard to reach this point, he’s trying to embrace every moment in the show.

“The big leagues are really fun,” Valencia said. “All the guys here are really fun. I like to win. I like to help the team, so that’s what we’re trying to do right now — win and show that we are here.”

For Valencia, it’s all finally starting to feel normal. But in an interview Thursday, he recounted advice from veteran teammate Javier Báez.

“This game moves really fast,” he said. “You need to take advantage of everything. You need to have fun every single game.”