Santiago Florez
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Signed for $150,000 during the 2016 J2 period, Florez shows good size and potential to add to his fastball, but aside from that, there is a long way to go in refining other aspects of his game. Still just 17 years old, though he will turn 18 in May of 2018. His high 3/4’s arm slot is fairly stiff, but there’s enough projection in the body that it’s likely that Florez gains a few ticks on the heater as he fills out. He sits around 90 mph with the fastball right now, scraping the 91-to-92 mph range on his best bolts with moderate arm-side tail. His command is in the early stages, as are a mid-70s curveball and low-80s changeup that need significant refinement. It’s tough to call him a genuine big league pitching prospect right now, but the size and potential for arm strength are in place to take steps forward. Florez is a long-range development prospect, though deep-dive Pirates prospect watchers should get to know him. How he adds stuff and makes adjustments to his delivery and control over the next 1-to-2 years will dictate his prospect status as he climbs the ladder. |
