Injuries have plagued the young career of New York Yankees prospect Estevan Florial. Thought to have a complete set of tools concerning hitting, base running, and defense, the outfielder has been featured at the top of the Bombers’ list of young stars for quite some time.
However, Florial has been held back by continuous freak injuries, including a broken wrist last spring after a strong start in spring-ball. Giving up on the international prospect would be ludicrous, considering the Yankees signed him back in 2015 for a mere $200K.
With his skill-set and overall potential, Florial still wows coaches and fans, and if it wasn’t for his wrist injury last season, he might have soared through the ranks and reached the big-leagues for the first time in his career. While his potential glistens like a diamond in the rough, the pressure and perfect sequence of events to create the diamond have been elusive.
Florial will have another opportunity this season to prove his worth and remain healthy. Otherwise, he could be on the trading block. The Yankees have dangled his name during the trade deadline on multiple occasions, just to keep him within the organization.
The New York Yankees have seen a glimpse of his potential:
Ever since the 2017 season, the Yankees have been looking for a consistent threat in the outfield. Aaron Judge has filled that role nicely, but injuries took their toll on the 2019 season. Giancarlo Stanton missed virtually all of 2019, and Aaron Hicks required Tommy John surgery after pushing through the postseason. The outfield is stocked full of talent, but having an elite center fielder would give them the final piece to the puzzle. Hicks is a solid switch-hitting player, which increases his value, but his inconsistencies have been troublesome.
Estevan, who in 2017 showed could be the next great outfielder for the Bombers, hit .298 with 13 homers, an OPS of .850, and stole 23 bases, portraying a wide array of ability that could translate to the next level. However, that was the best we had seen from Florial before injuries began to have their way with the young international.
There’s little to justify not giving Florial another chance next spring, and if he can remain healthy, 2020 could be the year he makes it to the MLB, which would make Clint Frazier more expendable.