WHERE ARE THEY NOW?: Former ValleyCats around baseball

TROY, N.Y.

The legacies of former Tri-City ValleyCats still live on across Major League Baseball.

The ValleyCats, once a former Class A Short Season affiliate of the Houston Astros up until 2020, were also once home to a few of the greatest Astros to ever don the navy blue and orange.Jose AltuveThe second baseman and future MLB Hall of Famer stands out the most.

The nine-time All-Star first laid his roots at Joseph L.

Bruno Stadium in 2009 before heading to Houston.With the Astros, Altuves ability to make contact at the plate and deliver in the biggest moments has won him and his team two World Series Championships.

Houston won it all in 2017 against the Los Angeles Dodgers and in 2022 against the Philadelphia Phillies.Across his 15-year career in the bigs, Altuve has totaled 2,331 hits and 246 home runs to complement his pristine .305 career batting average.

He was named the AL MVP in 2017, is a seven-time Silver Slugger, and has three batting titles to his name.While not selected as an All-Star this year, Altuve has still had an impressive season for the Astros.

At the seasons midway point, the 35-year-old has hit for a .277 batting average and a .801 OPS along with 17 home runs and 52 RBI.George SpringerGeorge Springer spent some time in Troy in 2011 before becoming one of Houstons most impactful players, helping the Astros to a championship in 2017.

The outfielder spent seven years in Houston and was an All-Star with the Astros from 2017-2019.He hit a total of 174 homers and 458 RBI across his time in Houston, but opted to take his talents elsewhere when he hit free agency following the 2020 season.

Springer signed with the Toronto Blue Jays in January of 2021.While he hasnt been as successful in Canada as he once was with his former team in the United States, Springer has still produced for the Jays in Toronto.

He earned his fourth All-Star selection in 2022.Hes had a great start to the 2025 season.

At age 35, Springer has certainly put up numbers that could have considered him an All-Star.

In 90 games this season with the Blue Jays, Springer has hit for a .270 batting average and 853 OPS to coincide with his 16 homers and 53 RBI.But no matter what Springer does anywhere else, he will always be remembered for slugging five home runs in the 2017 World Series en route to being crowned series MVP.Jeremy PenaBefore Penas remarkable rookie season, when he exploded in the 2022 playoffs and was named the MVP of both the ALCS and World Series, he was a ValleyCat.

The 27-year-old shortstop played for Tri-City in 2018 before his first season in the majors.

Through four seasons in Houston, Pena has shown the Astros why he should be their shortstop for a long time.The former Tri-City infielder has had his best season yet in 2025, earning him a reserve spot on the American League All-Star team for the first time.

Unfortunately for Pena, a small rib fracture and a stint on the injured list cost him an official spot on the roster.

Still, recognition for his play was earned.In 350 plate appearances this year, Pena has a team-leading .322 batting average and a .867 OPS alongside his 11 homers and 40 RBI.Framber ValdezSince his MLB debut in 2018, Framber Valdez has been considered one of the filthiest pitchers across the league.

Fans of the ValleyCats have been accustomed to Valdezs talents since he played for Tri-City in 2016.The left-handed pitcher is currently in his eighth season with Houston and is a two-time All-Star.

He has a career 3.24 ERA in 176 games (154 starts).

He is nine strikeouts away from 1,000 in his career.Valdez, a two-time All-Star, was crucial in the Astros bid for another championship in 2022.

In four starts of that playoff run, Valdez had an ERA of 1.44 and struck out 33 in 25 innings.Many argue that Valdez was an All-Star snub for this years game in Atlanta.

In 19 starts on the season, Valdez owns a 10-4 record, a 2.75 ERA, and a 1.12 WHIP along with 125 strikeouts through 121 innings.Hunter Brown26-year-old Hunter Brown is one of the leagues most promising young arms, and he has shown that this year.

Brown, who spent some time with Tri-City in 2019, is having his best season in his fourth year in the bigs.He earned his first All-Star selection after pitching to a 9-4 record, which includes a 2.43 ERA, a 0.96 WHIP, and 137 strikeouts through 115 innings.Though Brown opted out of pitching in the All-Star Game for rest, he still made the trip to Truist Park to celebrate his achievement.Dallas KeuchelDallas Keuchel, who was first a ValleyCat in 2009, rose to baseball stardom in 2015 when he took home the American League Cy Young award for an outstanding season on the mound.

In 33 starts that year, he posted a league-leading 20 wins with an ERA of 2.38 and a WHIP of 1.02.

He tossed a league-leading 232 innings with 216 punchouts.Keuchel appeared in the 2015 All-Star Game, which was his first of two during his career.His second All-Star season came in 2017.

He later won a ring with the Astros, earning two wins during the playoff run.After a seven-year career in Houston, Keuchel bounced around the league and recently inked a minor league contract with the Kansas City Royals.

But like Springer, Keuchel will always be remembered as an Astro and one of the most influential pitchers Houston and Tri-City have ever had.Houston Astros starting pitcher Hunter Brown delivers against the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, April 21, 2025, in Houston.

(AP Photo/Eric Christian Smith)Toronto Blue Jays George Springer hits a home run in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Tuesday, June 24, 2025.

(AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)Houston Astros pitcher Framber Valdez gets rosin on his hand before delivering a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Thursday, June 5, 2025.

(AP Photo/Gene J.

Puskar).

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