A Farmers Only legend returns!

The SB Nation search engine has often felt like a short librarian who can’t reach the top shelves—helpful, but not always providing exactly what you need. So, I turned to Google and searched “red reporter valaika,” which led me to some interesting throwbacks.

One standout was a Farmers Only Weekend Recap from early August 2012 by the inimitable BK, highlighting Billy Hamilton’s impressive season with 125 stolen bases for AA Chattanooga. It also mentioned familiar names like Kyle Lotzkar, Daniel Corcino, Denis Phipps, Mike Costanzo, Steve “Too” Selsky, and the emerging Jesse Winker from the Billings Mustangs. In that same weekend, Chris Valaika went 2 for 3, while Juan Duran hit a homer for Bakersfield.

Next, I found a 2013 Red Report on Chris Heisey, which I apparently wrote. It doesn’t delve deeply into Valaika, since it focuses on Heisey, but it notes that Valaika was part of the same Reds draft class from 2006, which included Drew Stubbs and Justin Turner.

Chris Valaika has had quite the journey since that 2006 draft. He made his MLB debut with the Reds during their memorable 2010 season, appearing in 19 games (including one home run). He returned for another 14 games in 2011, then became a free agent after the 2012 season. He had stints in the big leagues with the Miami Marlins and Chicago Cubs between 2013 and 2014 before transitioning to coaching.

In coaching, Valaika has earned a solid reputation. He served as the hitting coach for the Cleveland Guardians for the past three seasons, starting with Terry Francona as the team’s manager.

It’s notable that while the overall wRC+ for the Guardians during Valaika’s tenure was just average, their 19.0% strikeout rate from 2022 to 2024 was the lowest among all 30 MLB teams. Following David Bell’s firing and comments from Nick Krall, it’s clear that reducing strikeouts and adopting a more line-drive oriented approach is now a priority for the Reds. Valaika, who was recently hired as their Director of Hitting, appears to embody this philosophy.

I’ll momentarily set aside the irony that the front office, which brought in many high-strikeout players, is now pushing for a lower-strikeout team after the high-K approach didn’t yield the desired results, yet still rewarded themselves with promotions. That’s just the Reds’ way!

In hiring Valaika, the Reds not only bring back someone with ties to the organization, but they also secure a coach who is highly regarded by Terry Francona. It’s important to note that Valaika isn’t just the hitting coach; he’s the Director of Hitting, a role that will encompass organizational responsibilities similar to those of Derek Johnson. This position will focus on player development throughout the entire system, from the minors to the majors.

It seems the Reds plan to tackle strikeouts by enhancing their coaching approach from the ground up.