Tampa, Fla. -- The game of baseball has always put a smile on the face of Ryan Valdes.

"I started when i was four years old so I was at it for 22 years essentially. Baseball was my life, even during the summers I was playing it every weekend," said Valdes.

He got to play the game at nearly every level, winning two state championships at Alonso High School, playing college ball at Florida State and USF, then finally, a chance at the big leagues after being drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2017.

"It was kind of interesting for me, the process being drafted. You get phone calls from teams and you kinda don’t know where you’re going. I was fortunate enough Nick Presto with the Pirates gave me a call in the 33rd round and said hey, we’re gonna get ya. He said turn on your tv, I turned on the tv, saw my name come across the screen and I immediately broke down."

Ryan spent three years in the minor leagues before discovering the one thing he loved more than playing baseball.

"In the offseason I got the chance to coach kids, give private lessons to kids, travel to little leagues and I just fell in love with the aspect of coaching. For me, there’s no better rewarding job than teaching a kid something and than their face lights up. The ability to connect with them is amazing," said Valdes.

"I’ve been coaching with Ryan since last fall," said Midland Swarm coach Tony Haught. "I’ve been coaching baseball for 10 years and I’ve probably learned more in four to five months then I did those first 10 years."

Ryan’s resume speaks for itself, but it’s his ability to connect with young players that makes him such a good coach.

"I think he knows to relate to them better. He’s more up to speed with the current times, the current sayings," said Haught.

"He makes the game better, he makes us better and he just makes the game a blast," said Midland Swarm second baseman Matthew Beckett  "And he comes up with references that no one ever thinks of. He always says do you wanna be a moth or a cockroach?"

"Mark Kingston taught me that actually," said Valdes.  "When the lights come on, are you gonna run like a cockroach or you gonna fly like a moth. What I tell em is play free, get after it, have fun and do it with confidence."

Ryan Valdes has found a new career. One that not only puts a smile on his face, but also on the faces of young, Bay Area baseball players.