Rafael Flores Jr. is forcing Pirates to reconsider his current role

Rafael Flores Jr. entered Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Tigers as a bench bat. By the time it was over, he had accomplished something no player had done across more than 22,000 games of Pittsburgh Pirates baseball.

Flores became the first player in franchise history to hit multiple home runs off the bench, providing another tantalizing glimpse of the power that has made it increasingly difficult for the Pirates to keep him out of the lineup.

His first blast came as a pinch hitter for Henry Davis in the seventh inning. It was significant beyond Flores himself, too. The homer was Pittsburgh’s 82nd at PNC Park this season, setting a new single-season record for the ballpark.

But Flores wasn’t finished. He remained in the game behind the plate and came up again in the ninth, this time facing veteran closer Kenley Jansen with the Pirates trailing. Flores launched another solo homer to tie the game, completing the first multi-homer performance by a Pirates substitute in the franchise’s 22,089-game history.

Rafael Flores Jr. stays hot off Pirates' bench with tremendous power display vs. Tigers

For a player who has barely had an opportunity to establish himself in the majors, Flores is producing for the Pirates at an absurd rate.

He's now 15-for-48 through 19 appearances this season with six home runs. In other words, 40% of his hits have left the ballpark, and his latest performance only strengthens the argument that Pittsburgh needs to find out whether this is merely a scorching hot stretch or the emergence of a legitimate middle-of-the-order power bat.

There are reasons Flores hasn’t simply been handed an everyday job. His defense remains a work in progress, particularly behind the plate. He made a throwing error during his brief stint at catcher Wednesday, another reminder that Pittsburgh still has to figure out where he fits defensively long term.

But that can’t become an excuse to bury his bat. The Pirates have spent years searching for impact offense, and Flores is currently forcing his way into the conversation. Six home runs in 48 at-bats isn't something a team with Pittsburgh’s offensive needs can simply dismiss because the defensive fit is imperfect.

Maybe the league eventually adjusts. Maybe Flores cools down. Those are questions the Pirates can only answer by playing him. After Wednesday, he has more than earned that opportunity.

Flores already made Pirates history coming off the bench. Now Pittsburgh needs to find out what he can do if he stops starting games there.

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