Pirates Top Prospect Returns from Injury
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates got back one of their top prospects back after a recent spell out with injury.
The Bradenton Marauders activated outfielder Edward Florentino off the seven-day injured list on Aug. 30 and he made his first start back in center field that same day against the Tampa Tarpons, the Single-A affiliate of the New York Yankees.
Florentino had one hit in five at-bats, with a hit, a stolen base, a run and two strikeouts in his first game in nine days.
He left early during his last game on Aug. 21 vs. the Daytona Tortugas, the Single-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds and Bradenton placed him on the 7-day Injured List on Aug. 22.
Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said back on Aug. 27 that Florentino strained his left hamstring, but that je was back participating in full baseball activities, aside from base running. Tomczyk also expected Florentino to return by the weekend or early the following week.
He has slashed .270/.388/.524 for an OPS of .912 in 51 games with the Pirates' Single-A affiliate, with 50 hits in 185 at-bats, 17 doubles, 10 home runs, 31 walks to 53 strikeouts and 29 stolen bases on 33 attempts.
Florentino earned Florida State League Player of the Month honors for July. He slashed .301/.433/.663 for an OPS of 1.096 in 23 games, with 25 hits in 83 at-bats, six doubles, eight home runs, 23 RBIs, 17 walks to 24 strikeouts and 16 stolen bases on 17 attempts.
His eight home runs and 23 RBIs ranked as the most in both the Florida State League and in Single-A. He was also the only player in the Florida State League and one of three in Single-A with both at least 15 walks and 10 extra bases hits.
Florentino also made the top 100 prospects on Baseball America, as they placed him at 98th overall in their recent re-ranking.
MLB Pipeline doesn't have Florentino in their top 100 prospects, but placed him at fifth overall in the Pirates system after their recent re-ranking.
The 18-year old joined Bradenton on June 21, earning promotion from the Florida Complex League Pirates, and had a great start.
He earned Florida State League Player of the Week honors from June 30 - July 6, slashing .348/.400/.870 for an OPS of 1.270, with eight hits in 23 at-bats, three doubles, three home runs, six RBIs, two walks to five strikeouts and three stolen bases.
Florentino has impressed scouts with his 6-foot-4, 200-pound frame, that brings great power and quick speed, both of which he has shown this season.
Flor Sprouts Another Honor! 🌷 Edward Florentino Earns FSL Player of the Month for July!
— Bradenton Marauders (@The_Marauders) August 6, 2025
Florentino batted .301/.433/.663 and led the league in runs (20), HR (8), RBI (23), total bases (55), stolen bases (16), slugging percentage (.663) and OPS (1.096).
Congrats, Edward! pic.twitter.com/OBJNcCqGaT
The Pirates signed Florentino for $395,000 on Jan. 15, 2024 and he spent the 2024 season with the Dominican Summer League (DSL) Pirates Gold team. He slashed .260/.432/.459 for an OPS of .891, with 38 hits in 146 at-bats, 10 doubles, two triples, five home runs, 28 RBIs, 38 walks to 36 strikeouts and eight stolen bases on 10 attempts.
Florentino earned DSL Mid-Season All-Star honors for his play, slashing .280;/450/.540 for an OPS of .990 at that point in the 2024 campaign.
He started 2025 with the FCL Pirates, where he slashed .347/.442/.642 for an OPS of 1.084 in 29 games, 33 hit in 95 at-bats, six doubles, two triples, six home runs, 23 RBIs, 16 walks to 22 strikeouts and six stolen bases on seven attempts.
Florentino earned his first player of the week honors with at the FCL for June 9-15, with a slash line of .471/.474/.882 for an OPS of 1.356 in five games, eight hits in 17 at-bats, two doubles, one triple, one home run, six RBIs and one walk to five strikeouts.
His great play earned him recognition as the top MLB prospect in the Florida Complex League (FCL) in 2025.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.