BALTIMORE -- When the Pirates signed Edward Florentino as an international free agent in January of 2024, the projection was that 6-foot-4 teenager would eventually land at a corner outfield spot or first base. That tends to be the pathway for prospects who have the frame and a hit tool, but maybe not as refined of a defensive game.
But Florentino is the type of player who wants a challenge. He and his uncle, Junior Cline, dove into what it takes to be a center fielder, from what routes to take to learning to be more vocal when in the field. The Pirates took notice of the growth that Florentino made in the field, and he ended up playing the majority of his games at that position in 2025, making only one error on the season.
“I’ve always told myself I want to be a star center fielder, but I’ve never really focused about what people are saying about me,” Florentino said via interpreter Kenny Berdejo during a recent trip to Bradenton, Fla. “It’s a long road ahead to get to that position, so I’m going to stay focused.”
That focus and drive are good traits to have, especially since chatter around the 18-year-old outfielder is likely going to get louder in the coming years. The Pirates' No. 5 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline, had quite the 2025 campaign, slashing .290/.400/.548 with 16 home runs and 35 stolen bases over 83 games between the Florida Complex League and Single-A Bradenton.
That performance propelled him to crack MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospect list, currently sitting at No. 99. The way things are going, he could very well continue to rise the ranks.
The overall numbers are great. The peripherals are arguably even better. He hit the ball hard (89 mph average exit velocity on tracked balls with Bradenton) and had the lowest whiff rate (16.3%) and chase rate (12%) on the Marauders.
“He’s probably the most balanced 18-year-old hitter I’ve ever seen,” Marauders manager Jim Horner said. “You just don’t see him get out of whack. … Even his swing, it’s very balanced through the zone. It’s fun to watch.”
The Florida State League took notice quickly this season. Florentino was named the League’s Player of the Month in July, which is even more impressive considering he was only promoted to that level on June 21.
“When you do something like that, you feel great because you can see the progress between the process,” Florentino said in English.
Pirates Minor League coaches started having their eyes opened last year when he made the trip to Pirate City. Hitting development coordinator Jonathan Johnston quickly started getting glowing reviews about him last year, ranging from the parts of his swing that looked natural to the questions he was asking to try to improve.
“He was just continuing to grow,” Johnston said. “He’s another guy that learns super fast and continues to ask questions, and good questions about the pitcher, the approach and [makes it] very clear what he needs to do to be able to progress.”
The way Horner sees it, Florentino just needs games and time. That’s more than understandable for a player who is only 18 years old. Some of that is to give him more time to grow into his frame and get stronger, but Horner feels the game will continue to show him where he needs to grow. Based on his maturity, Horner thinks he will do just that.
“It’s going to be fun to watch him develop. He’s somebody that everybody should pay attention to in the Pirates organization just because…” Horner said, looking for the perfect words, “just because. It’s the leverage, the balance, the ability to recognize pitches. I’ve seen him hit breaking balls. I’ve seen him hit fastballs. I’ve seen him hit good fastballs. I’ve seen him hit not-so-good fastballs. I’ve seen him hit changeups. I’ve seen him hit pretty much everything.”
Not bad at all for a teenager, huh?
“It’s unbelievable,” Horner answered.