Pirates suddenly have an exciting Rafael Flores Jr. problem to solve

A year ago, Rafael Flores Jr. was nothing more than an intriguing name in the David Bednar trade.

He could hit; that much was fairly clear. Whether he could catch well enough to stick behind the plate was another question entirely.

In the roughly 365 days since, Flores has become one of the most encouraging developments of the Pirates’ second half. His emergence has suddenly given Pittsburgh a very different problem heading toward 2027: They need to figure out how to get him into the lineup every day.

Flores carried a career-high 10-game hitting streak into Thursday’s series finale against Milwaukee, batting .421 during that span. In 41 games overall, he has hit .268 with an .843 OPS, driving in 20 runs and scoring 15.

Tuesday might have been the best snapshot yet of just how far Flores has come. He went 4-for-4 against the Milwaukee Brewers while seeing Jacob Misiorowski twice before facing Aaron Ashby and Trevor Megill. The hits weren’t all rockets, but four hits against that kind of pitching is impressive regardless.

Behind the plate, Flores also threw out two of three attempted base stealers. In other words, it no longer looks like defense is the thing potentially preventing him from becoming Pittsburgh’s long-term catcher.

Earlier this season, Flores started 0-for-12 throwing out runners. Flores and catching coach Jordan Comadena eventually made an adjustment, switching his setup with runners on base from his left knee down to his right. Since then, Flores has thrown out six of 21 attempted stealers, a 28.6% clip.

Rafael Flores Jr. breakout season should force Pirates to rearrange catching hierarchy

Suddenly, the idea of Flores catching regularly doesn’t seem nearly as far-fetched.

Neither does the power. Flores blasted a 407-foot home run Wednesday at 107.6 mph. He has also hit four home runs this season at least 422 feet, topping out at 440.

That combination — legitimate power, improved contact and a defense that appears to be trending in the right direction — should force the Pirates to reconsider their catching hierarchy.

Henry Davis simply hasn’t done enough to demand everyday at-bats. If Flores continues producing, there is little reason those opportunities should come at his expense.

The same applies at first base. Spencer Horwitz has struggled recently, and Flores’ ability to handle both catcher and first base gives Pittsburgh flexibility. If Flores isn’t catching on a particular night, putting him at first makes more sense than sitting one of their hottest hitters simply because of positional congestion.

The Pirates have spent years searching for young players capable of forcing their way into the lineup. Flores appears to be doing exactly that. That creates a problem for 2027, but it’s the kind of problem this organization should welcome.

The Pirates shouldn’t be asking where Rafael Flores Jr. fits anymore. They should be figuring out who has to move out of his way.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow