Elliott: How deep in valley is Mathieu Vallée in Frontier record books? No. 1 base stealer
ABC alum Mathieu Vallée (Saint Eustache, Que.) set a Frontier League record with 83 stolen bases for the Trois-Rivières Aigles in 2025. Photo: Trois-Rivières Aigles
November 21, 2025
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
In his four years playing college ball, Mathieu Vallée combined to steal 68 bases.
Not bad.
Certainly he earned ‘beep-beep’ status.
The roadrunner had a successful success rate with the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M Golden Norse, swiping 35 of 37 in 2021.
The next year with the Dallas Baptist Patriots, Vallée (Saint-Eustache, Que.) was 3-for-6.
Moving on to the Southern Illinois Salukis he was 15-for-18 in 2023 and 15-for-16 in 2024. So if you are counting along at home that’s 68-for-77 (88.3%) in 136 career games. Former Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi used to say an 80% success rate was needed for a base stealer to continue to get the green light.
After he left campus for the final time in 2024, Vallée joined the de Aigles Trois-Rivières where he went 7-for-9 in 21 games in the independent Frontier League.
And then came 2025.
Vallée was quickly upgraded from the beep-beep category to road ‘where did he go?’ status. He stole 83 bases in 88 games, tying and breaking the Frontier League record on the same trip around the bases last Aug. 19 against the Ottawa Titans at Stade Quillorama on Avenue Gilles-Villeneuve in Trois-Rivières. The previous record of 75 was held by Jarius Richards of the Gateway Grizzlies in 2023.
Opening the bottom of the first with a single on a 2-2 pitch, Vallée stole second against LHP Shane Telfer on a 1-0 pitch to Louis Phillipe Pelletier (Montreal, Que.) for No. 75 and with two out, he stole third on a 1-0 pitch to Juan Carlos Negret. Ottawa won 7-5. Vallee said it was “a bang-bang play” at third.
Our voters named Vallée the Canadian Baseball Network’s 2025 top offensive player (unaffiliated ranks) and winner of the annual Murray Zuk award. He is only the second member of the Aigles to have won the honour. Pelletier won in 2022. The Quebec Capitales have won in 13 seasons (hitters and pitchers), led by four-time winner RHP Karl Gelinas (Iberville, Que.) of the Capitales. 1B Jamie Romak (London, Ont.), of SK Wyverns in Korea, was named the top hitter four times.
On the season, Vallée batted .352 with 19 doubles, one homer and 41 RBIs, with an .841 OPS. He was third in the league in hits (127), sixth in batting average and tied for sixth in runs (75). He earned 47 walks and a selection to the all-star team.
“I really hadn’t done any speed and agility workouts until last off-season,” Vallée said. “It also helped with the rules that a pitcher can only throw over twice. Maybe the Frontier League guys are slower to the plate.
“Our coaches were super confident in me, giving me the green light.”
And nowhere was it greener than on July 18 at Joseph L. Bruno Stadium as the Tri-City Valley Cats edged Trois-Rivieres 3-2. Vallée went 7-for-7 on the base paths for manager Jonathan Albaladejo, the former New York Yankees reliever. Vallée was 3-for-4, with a double and a walk.
And it was a bright green July 2 as he stole six bases as the Aigles thumped the Down East Bird Dawgs 14-2 at Grainger Stadium on July 2. Vallée was 2-for-3 with three walks and scored four times.
How fast is Vallée?
He said he had only been clocked once - a laser clocking on a turf football field at Northeastern Oklahoma ... 6.26.
“The Aigles texted me in the morning and posted the news on Facebook, it’s quite an honour,” Vallée said when asked how he found out award the award.
“Our No. 2 and No. 3 hitters didn’t mind taking a couple of pitchers for me to steal, but usually I’d steal second on the first pitch,” Vallée said. “I would not steal third with two out and two strikes on our hitter.”
Vallée circles the bases when he’s asked who has helped him on his journey ... his:
_ Parents, mom Manon, a lab technican and his father Jimmy, a judge.
_ High school coach Simon Lepage, where the accent was on practice rather than games.
_ Roger Ward, his coach at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M.
_ Dan Heefner, Dallas Baptist coach.
_ South Illinois coach Lance Rhodes.
What is the best way to prevent Vallée from stealing, according to Vallée?
“Some guys go quick to the plate, some guys would try to quick pitch,” said Vallée, who grew up admiring speedster Billy Hamilton of the Cincinnati Reds. Hamilton stole 56 in 2014, 57 in 2015, 58 in 2016 and 59 in 2017.
We told Vallée a base-stealing story. How Hall of Famer Lou Brock (938 career steals) came to Olympic Stadium to see Tim Raines early in his career. Brock was impressed and predicted great things “as long as he doesn’t become afraid.”
Afraid of getting hurt?
“No, afraid of getting thrown out at second, you have no idea how long of a walk it is back to the dugout from second base.”
Said Vallée: “Tthere is no more shame walking off the field from second. It’s not so bad if you are the third out. You just head out to your position and another outfielder brings you your glove.”
We asked a scout to take a look at Vallée’s numbers. His response:
“He stole 118 of 132 for an 89.4% success rate over the course of school and Indy ball. That’s a large sample size. He walks a lot, high on base percentage. So, basically he gets on first a lot and steals second a lot. Free doubles.”
Four-time winner Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) who won playing for SK Wyverns in Korea.
Non-affiliated
(Independent/Foreign Leagues)
Top Offensive Player Of The Year
(Renamed the Murray Zuk award for 2021 season)
2008 — Drew Miller (Medicine Hat, Alta.) Calgary Vipers.
2009 — Pete LaForest (Hull, Que.) Quebec Capitales and Colin Moro (Calgary, Alta.) Calgary Vipers.
2010 - Drew Miller (Medicine Hat, Alta.) Calgary Vipers.
2011 – Matt Rogelstad (Port Moody, BC) Edmonton Capitals.
2012 – Sebastien Boucher (Ottawa, Ont.) Quebec Capitales.
2013 – Jonathan Malo (Laval, Que.) Quebec Capitales.
2014 - Sebastien Boucher (Ottawa, Ont.) Quebec Capitales.
2015 - Jim Adduci (Burnaby, BC) Lotte Giants, Korea.
2016 - Carter Bell, (Courtenay, BC) Joliet Slammers.
2017 - Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) SK Wyverns/triple-A El Paso.
2018 _ Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) SK Wyverns, Korea.
2019 _ Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) SK Wyverns, Korea
2020 _ Jamie Romak (London, Ont.) SK Wyverns, Korea
2021 _ David Glaude (Quebec City, Que.) Équipe Québec.
2022 _ L. P. Pelletier (Montreal, Que.) Trois-Rivieres Aigles.
2023 _ Kole Cottam (Memphis, Tenn./Burlington, Ont.) Spire City Ghost Hounds.
2024 _ Justin Gideon (Pickering, Ont.) Quebec Capitales.
2025 _ Mathieu Vallee (Saint-Eustache, Que.) Trois-Rivieres Aigles.