Until recently, Samuel Valerio was just a name. But a brief clip of the 6-foot-4, 220-pound right-hander hurling 101 mph effortlessly had Royals fans buzzing across social media. With his towering frame and rifle for an arm, how is it be possible his name hasn’t been mentioned before?
Valerio was signed by Kansas City in July of 2018 out of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. After reaching a deal for $242,500, the 17-year-old began working with Royals’ coaches immediately. In doing so, the staff adjusted his mechanics by lowering his arm slot and urging him to use more legs into his delivery, which bumped his velocity from upper 80s to mid-90s, according to Baseball America.