Pirates OF Named Sleeper Prospect
A Pittsburgh Pirates outfield prospect earned recognition for his performance in the lower levels of the team's minor league system this season.
Baseball America's Geoff Pontes dug into 10 farmhands that produced impressive advanced metrics in the Complex League this year, including Pittsburgh's Edward Florentino among that crop.
"Signed in January 2024 out of the Dominican Republic, Florentino was selected as a DSL All-Star in his professional debut for hitting .260/.439/.459 over 49 games," Pontes wrote. "The lefthanded-hitting 17-year-old has outstanding plate skill, as evidenced by a 14% in-zone miss rate and 18.5% chase rate. His combination of contact and approach pairs well with solidly above-average power that was showcased by a 103.3 mph 90th percentile EV. He shows a knack for making consistent hard contact, as well (41.1% hard-hit rate in 2024), making him an exciting name to come stateside in 2025."
Pontes used the three pillars of "metric-based evaluation" to help formulate the list, which includes a player's impact (90th percentile exit velocity, xwOBAcon), contact (in-zone whiff rate, whiff rate) and swing decisions (chase rate).
Florentino recorded 17 extra bases hits across his 190 plate appearances on the year, five of which were home runs. He finished with 28 RBIs and eight stolen bases on 10 attempts while posting a 144 wRC+ and .445 wOBA.
Florentino also took more free passes than punch outs, indicated by his 20.0% walk rate and 18.8% strikeout rate.
Defensively, he tallied a combined 191 1/3 innings across all three outfield positions and showcased a plus arm while sprinkling in 148 frames at first base.
Florentino was ranked as the No. 23 prospect in the Pirates' system by FanGraphs' Eric Longenhagen and Travis Ice back in June, largely due to his power potential.
"Florentino has a much power projection as any Pirates DSL prospect, including several hitters who signed for more than the cool $395,000 he did," they wrote. "At a broad-shouldered 6-foot-4, Florentino has room for a ton of mass and strength, and he already has pretty impressive raw power for a hitter his age. His swing has a huge, damage-seeking uppercut path that is so extreme even Gervonta Davis wonders if Florentino should tone it down. It might eventually lead to elevated strikeout rates, but that hasn’t been a part of the prologue of Florentino’s career. Because his size will likely limit him to first base down the road (he’s playing a mix of first base and the outfield right now), Florentino is going to have to hit a ton to profile, but his highly entertaining swing looks like it’s at least going to enable him to check the power box on the scout card. Over time he’ll prove whether or not the contact portion is there, but so far, so good."
MLB Pipeline classified him as the Pirates' No. 29 prospect, serving as further evidence that the buzz surrounding Florentino is palpable at such an early stage in his career.
