Pirates' Edward Florentino Coming Through on Potential

Sep 16, 2023; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates hats and gloves in the dugout against the New York Yankees during the sixth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Pirates' Edward Florentino Coming Through on Potential

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI
By Dominic Campbell | Last updated Sep 7, 2026 10:00 AM ET

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PITTSBURGH — Edward Florentino is one of the best future talents for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and his 2026 season showed he's only getting better.

Florentino excelled this year, hitting 27 home runs, with 24 coming at High-A Greensboro and three at Single-A Bradenton on a rehab assignment.

Those 27 home runs are the most for a teenage prospect since 2021, with Florentino, 19 years old, becoming the ninth teenager to hit at least 27 home runs since 2005.

Florentino is the highest-ranked position player prospect in the Pirates' farm system, and this power display will keep him trending towards the top of the baseball rankings.

Why Florentino Can Become Great Power Hitter

The Pirates' future star stands 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, making him well-suited for a power-hitting profile compared to your average 19-year-old prospect.

Florentino's swing also caters to him hitting home runs, using his entire upper body and swinging through completely to send balls way out.

He hit 16 home runs in 2025 at 18 years old, six home runs in the Florida Complex League, and 10 home runs at Bradenton, as he broke out and became one of the top outfield prospects in baseball.

Florentino has the frame to hit home runs, but also focuses his swing towards power, with great launch angles that come from the almost upper cut swing.

His swing is still raw in some areas, but Florentino can hit for power, and with even more refinement, he'll drive the ball more consistently and hit more home runs.

Florentino Gets Hot Late in 2026

It took Florentino some time to get going, suffering an ankle injury that knocked him out of most of Spring Training.

Florentino eventually made his debut with Greensboro on May 1, but he didn't start hitting for power until July and continued that for the rest of the season.

He had just seven home runs through June, but hit eight in July and seven in August, before adding two in this most recent series to start September.

Florentino had a .613 slugging percentage in July, a .570 slugging percentage in August, and finished with a slash line of .240/.360/.582 for an OPS of .942 over 50 games since July 1.

Greensboro is in the South Atlantic League Playoffs against Frederick (Baltimore Orioles), and they'll need Florentino swinging the way he has if they want to win it all.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Pirates on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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