John William Valentin (born February 18, 1967) is an American former shortstop and third baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB).

[1] Valentin attended Seton Hall University, where he played college baseball for the Pirates under head coach Mike Sheppard.

On July 8, 1994, Valentin turned the 10th unassisted triple play in MLB history, in a game against the Mariners.

Valentin finished ninth in the American League MVP voting, and helped lead the Red Sox to its first division title since 1990.

During the 1996 season, Red Sox prospect Nomar Garciaparra battled for the spot of shortstop with Valentin, who had held the position for his entire career.

[4] In January 2008, Valentin joined the Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino (the High-A minor league affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers) as hitting coach for the 2008 season.