Breakout Pirates prospect finally gets spotlight after huge 2025 rise

For most of 2025, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ system had a familiar gravitational pull: Paul Skenes doing alien things in the majors, Konnor Griffin forcing his way into every conversation, and a wave of pitching that kept the future feeling loud. But MLB Pipeline just reminded everyone that sometimes the biggest story is the one you didn’t quite see coming.

Edward Florentino is officially that guy.

Pipeline named a breakout prospect for every organization in 2025, and the Pirates’ nod went to the 19-year-old outfielder who started the year as a curiosity and finished it as a full-blown dude. They emphasized the massive jump he made in the last year –– starting 2025 at No. 23 in the Pirates’ Top 30, yet-to-even debut stateside, then finishing it as Pittsburgh's No. 5 prospect and the No. 81 prospect in all of baseball.

MLB Pipeline names Edward Florentino Pirates' breakout prospect for 2025

Pipeline highlighted the warning signs that started buzzing in Florentino's extended spring: absurd exit velocities, loud contact, and then that 1.084 OPS in the Florida Complex League that forced a promotion to full-season ball. Instead of blinking, Florentino just kept hitting — finishing with a combined .948 OPS, 16 homers, 35 steals and a 159 wRC+. Oh, and he’s turning into a legit center fielder in the process.

And the best part? This wasn’t supposed to be guaranteed. Griffin came in with expectations as a first-round pick. But Florentino? He was the “watch-list guy.” The prospect hipsters’ pick. Now, he’s everybody’s pick. He’s also exactly the type of player this front office keeps saying it wants to build around: explosive athlete, up-the-middle defender, power/speed combo, modern offensive profile.

So what does this mean for the Pirates? For starters, it means the system still has teeth. It means there’s another wave coming behind Griffin. It means the future outfield picture just got a lot more fun. (Imagining Florentino roaming center at PNC Park one day should make even the most cynical fan grin a little.)

It also means the Pirates’ player development group deserves some flowers. This was a teenager who had never played stateside ball before 2025, and now he’s climbing national rankings.

Pirates fans have lived through enough “potential” to fill a steel mill. Florentino isn’t a promise — he’s a proof-of-concept that the pipeline is still producing, that the window isn’t just Skenes- and Griffin-driven, and that there are more bats coming.

So, tip your cap to Griffin — he was everything we hoped and more. But save a cheer for Florentino, too. Because every great Pirates era has that one prospect who comes roaring up from nowhere, and Florentino just announced his arrival.