Estevan Florial

Position: CF
Level: AFL
Affiliate: Glendale Desert Dogs
League: Arizona Fall League
Born: 11/25/1997 (Age: 26)
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 185
B/T: Left / Right
Acquired: Signed as International Free Agent, March 19th, 2015 (NYY)

Prospect Spotlight

Florial burst onto the national prospect scene in 2017 with a strong effort in Class A. He missed two months with a hamate injury this season, posting a strong .308/.390/.481 line the rest of the way upon returning to the lineup in Advanced A Tampa. The athletic outfielder will be 20-years-old until the end of the Arizona Fall league season, and despite being one of the youngest players in the AFL this fall, 2018 is his second tour of the league. He struggled mightily during my week covering Glendale, though the high-upside toolset that has him on the radar was still on display.

Florial is built with twitchy muscularity, and his 6-foot-1 and 185-pound frame has the strength for power while still maintaining plus speed. He glides in the outfield and has a plus arm that impacts the running game. He has plus batspeed and whistles the barrel through the zone, though the path is long to the ball and struggles to make contact against secondary stuff. With improvements to his approach there’s legitimate five-tool potential, but the hitting ability has a ways to go and is still at least a full year away from big league ready.

The best-case scenario is an above-average regular who hits for above-average power at a center-diamond position. Even if the bat-to-ball ability never fully develops, Florial’s standout athleticism and speed/power potential will get him to the Major Leagues. He’s young enough now to chance on the side of projection, though it would be good to see some declines in strikeout rate and improved feel at the plate in the next two years.