Baseball America identifies two Pittsburgh Pirates prospects as top DSL players

Many of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ best position player prospects are very young, with many not having reached a full-season level of the minor leagues yet. The lowest level of the minor leagues is the Dominican Summer League. The experts at Baseball America, with an eye on the far-off future, ranked the top 31 prospects at this level, with two of the notable names being Pirates prospects.

The first is Edward Florentino, who ranked as the 20th-best prospect in the league. A first baseman/outfielder, the Pirates signed Florentino out of the Dominican Republic in January. He made a good first impression, batting .260/.432/.459 with a .445 wOBA and 145 wRC+ through 190 plate appearances. Florentino went yard five times, with a .199 isolated slugging percentage, while drawing more walks (38) than strikeouts (36).

According to Baseball America, Florentino did not swing and miss very often, with a miss rate under 20% both on pitches inside the strike zone and outside the zone. Florentino also displayed a good amount of raw power, as his 90th percentile exit velocity slotted in at 104 MPH. His hardest hit ball was clocked at 110 MPH. Baseball America is bullish on Florentino’s power potential, citing, “Scouts believe he has a chance to hit 25 or more home runs annually in the big leagues if he reaches his potential.”

They also suggest that Florentino may have to eventually move to a corner. Most of his playing time came at first base, with his second most frequented position being center field. Florentino is already 6’4” and 200 pounds at just 17 years old (turns 18 in November). He is not considered a great runner already, so the long-term move may be first base.

Baseball America finds power at lowest levels of Pittsburgh Pirates' system

The next prospect on Baseball America’s list is Kendrick Herrera, who ranks 22nd. Though much of the assessment is based on future potential, Herrera also posted some solid numbers, including a .259/.390/.360 triple-slash, .387 wOBA, and 112 wRC+. Although Herrera did not hit for much power, with an ISO of just .101, he drew plenty of walks with a 16.9% BB% and rarely struck out, clocking in with a 14.5% K%.

Coming out of the Dominican Republic, Herrera’s glove was more advanced than his bat at the time of his signing, according to the writeup. Although this still rings true after the season, he has added some strength and has made some progress with the stick in his hand. Herrera swung and missed at an even lower rate than Florentino, with a chase rate of just 17.9%. His whiff rate on pitches inside the zone was an impressive 9.6%. He has yet to show off the same raw power that Florentino has, but the experts are optimistic he can add more strength to his 6-foot, 170-pound frame.

Defensively, Baseball America praised Herrera’s strong reaction and his “strong internal clock.” He also has a plus arm, able to make throws from deep in the hole. Most of his playing time was up the middle at shortstop, but like many young infielders at this level, he also played second and third. At the very least, he projects as a plus defender.

While Florentino and Herrera are still years away, it is nice to see the Pirates have something promising brewing with some of their youngest top prospects. Florentino and Herrera are definitely showing some promising raw tools, so hopefully they can continue to refine their skills in the coming years.