Pirates Top Prospect Excelling on Rehab Assignment
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PITTSBURGH — Most players use rehab assignments to acclimate themselves back into playing baseball full-time, but one Pittsburgh Pirates prosect is doing that and then some.
Pirates outfielder prospect Edward Florentino started his rehab assignment with Single-A Bradenton on April 18 and has hit incredibly well since then, proving he's ready to dominate in 2026.
Florentino is slashing .308/.471/.692 for an OPS of 1.163 in four games with Bradenton, with four hits in 13 at-bats, two doubles, one home run, four RBI, four walks to three strikeouts and a stolen base.
He hit his first home run against Clearwater on the road on April 22, a solo shot to opposite field that should serve as one of many for him this campaign.
Edward Florentino with his first of the season!
— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) April 22, 2026
The @Pirates No. 3 prospect (MLB No. 44) goes oppo for his first jack of the year and raises his OPS to 1.163 for @The_Marauders. pic.twitter.com/vv1w31bNwd
Florentino Working Back From Injury
The Pirates have high hopes for Florentino and his development this season, but he suffered a setback in Spring Training with an ankle injury.
He had that injury in mid-February, which kept him out for a month, before he resumed baseball activities in late-March, but still missed out on the Spring Breakout Game, featuring the best prospects in baseball of two MLB teams.
Florentino had been playing in extended games before starting his rehab assignment, which don't show up on official box scores, but still are important for a full return.
He will head to High-A Greensboro once he is done with his rehab assignment and finally get his season going, officially.
Why Pirates See Great Things For Florentino
Florentino had an incredible 2025 season, which saw him rise up the prospect rankings and is trending towards becoming of the best-known young talents in the game.
He will also become the Pirates' best position player prospect, once shortstop Konnor Griffingraduates in less than a month following his time at the major league level.
Baseball America ranks Florentino as the top corner prospect in baseball and 24th overall, while MLB Pipeline places him at 44th overall and as their 10th best outfielder. Keith Law of The Athletic ranked Florentino 42nd and he landed at 78th on ESPN's top 100 list.
Florentino can do a great deal of things at the plate, but his power and what he can generate from his swing are what makes people so high on the 19-year old from the Dominican Republic, who stands 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds.
He also makes great contact, has good plate discipline at his age, possesses speed on the base paths and is solid defensively as a corner outfielder.
Florentino dominated in his first full season in the United States in 2025 with both the Florida Complex League (FCL) Pirates in Rookie-Level ball and with Bradenton
Batting Average | On-Base % | Slugging % | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|
.290 | .400 | .548 | .948 |
Hits | Doubles | HR | RBI | BB/K | SB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
84 | 23 | 16 | 59 | 49/78 | 35 |
If he can improve on that season in 2026, he could easily end up as one of the best prospects in baseball and closer to his MLB debut than previously anticipated.
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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.