The Yankees have had significant success developing young talent into starting level players. Miguel Andujar, Gleyber Torres, Luis Severino, and Gary Sanchez account for a good portion of the team’s overall efficiency.
One of the Bombers’ top prospects, Estevan Florial, was/is expected to develop into a bonafide starter. His elite base-running, speed, defense, and bat make him a well-rounded player, but he has been unable to get out of his own way in recent seasons.
The 21-year-old Dominican born outfielder ranked as the No. 38 prospect in all of baseball in 2018, and last season he was 2nd with the Yankees only behind Deivi Garcia, a player who rose through the minor league system from top to bottom in three months.
The New York Yankees have plenty of youth players to work with:
There’s no question the Yankees have numerous prospects who are destined for greatness in the MLB, but when it comes to Florial, he must find ways to stay healthy if he wants to reach his overall potential.
After suffering a broken wrist in spring ball before the start of the regular season, Florial returned to hit .237 with eight home runs and 38RBIs, stealing nine bases and logging a .680 OPS with High-A Tampa. Those numbers are decent, but his batting average is not high enough to convince the Yankees brass he can perform at the top level. If he was smacking 25 homers per season, they might be able to overlook his lack of consistent hitting, but that’s not the case.
Two freak injuries have undoubtedly hampered his ability to develop and show consistency. If he can remain healthy and begin to work on his craft, Florial can be the player the Yankees expect him to be. His raw tools and attributes scream efficiency. He must now harness them an take full advantage of the resources readily available.