Estevan Florial

Florial played in 17 games for the Yankees in 2022 and had a .297 OPS in 35 plate appearances. He spent most of the campaign at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, where he had a .284/.370/.483 slash line with 15 home runs and 39 stolen bases in 101 contests. That level of production is encouraging, but it also came with a 30.2 percent strikeout rate, which has been an issue throughout his time in the minors. Now entering his age-25 season, Florial is unlikely to receive any significant major-league opportunities without cutting down on his whiffs.

Despite having yet to advance beyond High-A ball, Florial received a brief callup to the majors last season, collecting a single and two strikeouts in three plate appearances. He logged 22 spring training at-bats as well, striking out eight times and producing just four hits, though three went for extra bases (two doubles, one home run). That seemingly unimportant stat line provides a pretty accurate microcosm of where Florial stands as a prospect; he has plenty of raw power but has yet to figure out the strike zone, resulting in low batting averages and an abundance of whiffs. In his 2019 campaign with High-A Tampa, Florial posted a 32.6 K% and 8.0 BB%, both the worst marks of his professional career. Injuries have delayed his development and Florial is still only 23, so he's far from a lost cause. His power and speed will be enticing fantasy assets if he's ever able to develop acceptable contact skills.

Florial was once ranked as one of the top prospects in the Yankees system, but two separate right wrist injuries curtailed development. In 2018, he missed significant time with a hamate bone issue then fractured the same wrist crashing into a wall in spring 2019. However, keep in mind Florial just turned 22 years old, so not advancing past High-A isn't as much of an issue for someone beginning his pro career when he was just 18. Last season, Florial slashed a weak .237/.297/.383 after joining High-A Tampa in early June but his potential was still enough for the Yankees to add him to the 40-man roster in advance of the Rule 5 draft. Toolsy players often take longer to develop, so Florial deserves the benefit of the doubt. He still possesses the raw athleticism exciting everyone as a teenager so if Florial can hone his plate skills, he can be a fantasy star. Florial is a hold in keeper and dynasty formats.

There is roughly an 85% chance the Yankees or a dynasty-league manager could trade Florial this offseason and never regret it. On the flipside, if he reaches his absolute ceiling, anyone who traded him would retire in shame. Watching him leg out a triple with his plus speed is a thing of beauty, and his plus raw power is tantalizing. Unfortunately a broken hamate bone in his right wrist cost him two months in the middle of the season, and he never really got going at the dish before or after. He also struggled mightily (.178/.294/.260, 29:12 K:BB in 73 AB) in a return trip to the Arizona Fall League. Florial has trouble recognizing offspeed pitches and was given a steady dose of them in the AFL. His 2019 production will likely depend on whether the Yankees set him up for success with a return to High-A, where he has 96 career games, or give him a significant challenge with a bump up to Double-A. If he ever learns to hit for a high average, he could be a star.

There are reasons to be skeptical about Florial’s breakout campaign, but his enormous tools are too much to ignore. A 19-year-old with plus-plus raw power and above average speed who dominates the Midwest League and doesn’t skip a beat after a late-season promotion to the Florida State League needs to be taken very seriously. That said, he whiffed at a 31.1 percent clip across both stops and posted batting averages on balls in play of .431 and .404 at Low-A and High-A, respectively. Florial’s hit tool is below average at present, but that doesn’t mean he won’t improve in that department. He already shows a willingness to work the count (10.5 percent walk rate), and if he can learn to take what pitchers give him and hit the ball to the opposite field more often, we could be looking at a five-category monster in the Alfonso Soriano mold. His ceiling is up there with any prospect not named Ronald Acuna, but the risk involved leaves him outside the top 20, for now.

Florial is a teenager from Haiti who started the season in the rookie-level Appalachian League and ended the year at High-A Tampa. Of course, the ascension is a bit misleading, as Florial hit just .225 with 78 strikeouts in 60 games for Pulaski before a brief bump to Low-A Charleston. Florial went 6-for-20 over that subsequent five-game span before finishing the season with two games at High-A. Florial is a left-handed center field prospect who should hit double-digit home runs and swipe double-digit bases in the coming seasons. He must cut down on his strikeouts and prove he can hit for average, but that intriguing power/speed combination makes him a prospect to watch for the Yankees. He should start the 2017 season back at Low-A.