José Rafael Valverde (born March 24, 1978 in San Pedro De Macoris, Dominican Republic) is a closer in Major League Baseball, currently for the Detroit Tigers. His nickname is Papa Grande. He throws both two and four-seam fastballs, a splitter, and a slider. Both of his fastballs are thrown in the mid to high nineties. His splitter is probably known as his best and most effective pitch.