This is one in a series of stories breaking down PBN’s Top 30 Pittsburgh Pirates prospects.
The Pirates made the decision to trade Pittsburgh-native David Bednar to the New York Yankees at the trade deadline in exchange for three players. The headliner of the return was catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores, who fans saw wear the black and gold at the end of the year.
General manager Ben Cherington was clearly very high on Flores at the time of the trade. When speaking to the media after the deadline had passed, Cherington said the Pirates chose the package involving Flores as opposed to ones with higher-ranked prospects.
Flores took an unorthodox path to reaching the big leagues. The Yankees signed him out of Rio Hondo College as an undrafted free agent in July 2022.
Flores burst onto the scene two years later when he split the season between High-A Huston Valley and Double-A Somerset in the Yankees organization. In 124 games between the two levels, Flores slashed .279/.379/.495 with 31 doubles, 21 home runs and 68 RBI.
Flores, who celebrates his 25th birthday tomorrow, shined with Sommerset to start the 2025 season and was promoted to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre shortly before he was dealt to Pittsburgh.
After he was acquired by the Pirates, he was assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he hit .281 with an .822 OPS, four doubles, a triple, six home runs and 28 RBI in 36 games.
The Pirates promoted Flores to the big leagues on Sep. 16 and he made his MLB debut the following day against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. Flores recorded his first MLB hit with a third-inning double off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd and drew a walk later in the game.
Flores appeared in seven games for the Pirates at the end of the season and went 3 for 15 with a pair of doubles and two walks.
There are mixed reviews on Flores behind the plate. Some feel he can stick at catcher, citing a refined skillset and a strong arm. Others feel he will be a better fit at first base. The Pirates will almost certainly give him a chance at catcher, but they can also platoon him with the left-handed hitting Spencer Horwitz at first base to get his bat in the lineup.
And it’s Flores’ bat that could make the biggest impact with the Pirates. It’s no secret the team needs more offense, and Flores can be one of the multiple solutions needed to improve the lineup.
Mentioned in this article: Pittsburgh Pirates Rafael Flores
More about: Pirates Farm System