Rafael Flores Jr. has become the center of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ latest offensive surge, and the rookie’s bat has completely changed the tone around the club over the last two games.
It started with Thursday’s 13-1 win over the Miami Marlins, when Flores Jr. went 2-for-5 and drove in six runs with a pair of three-run homers. He left the yard in both the eighth and ninth innings, homering in back-to-back at-bats and helping turn a long quiet stretch at the plate into a blowout.
He kept rolling Friday night at PNC Park against the Boston Red Sox. Flores Jr. cracked a solo home run to right field in the bottom of the second off Jake Bennett, giving him homers in three straight plate appearances.
He later added an RBI single in the fourth and finished 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs in Pittsburgh’s 8-4 victory. It was his first career three-hit game.
The Pirates have scored 21 runs over the last two games, a sharp reversal for a team that had been struggling to produce offense. Pittsburgh entered Friday at 59-64 after snapping a four-game losing streak, but the bigger picture still looks bleak.
FanGraphs had the Pirates at 4.6% to reach the postseason as of August 12, while Baseball-Reference.com had them at 1.8%. They began the weekend 5.0 games behind the final National League Wild Card spot.
Flores Jr., a right-handed hitter listed at 6-foot-3 and 232 pounds, has been one of the few bright spots during a difficult stretch. The Pirates acquired him from the New York Yankees in the July 2025 trade for All-Star closer David Bednar, and he made his major league debut on September 17, 2025. His rookie status carried into the 2026 season.
The early results have been eye-catching. In 34 at-bats this season, Flores Jr. is hitting .294/.400/1.076 with four home runs and 10 RBIs. For a player whose calling card is power, the production has shown up in a hurry.
His value has gone beyond the box score, too. On Thursday, Flores Jr. handled catching duties for a complete game from Braxton Ashcraft, who gave up one run on three hits while striking out 10. Flores Jr. also picked off his first career caught stealing, throwing out Esteury Ruiz in the third inning, something he said felt "a lot better than hitting a homer".
The Pirates, who rank third in the majors in runs, have been missing regulars such as Oneil Cruz, Konnor Griffin, and Ryan O'Hearn. Esmerlyn Valdez helped keep them afloat in July, and now Flores Jr. may be stepping into a similar role this month.
Even with their playoff hopes still hanging by a thread, the Pirates have at least found a jolt of energy from a rookie who is forcing pitchers to pay attention every time he steps in the box.
Pittsburgh will try to make it three straight wins Saturday when it continues the series against Boston. First pitch is set for 7:15 PM ET at PNC Park, with the game airing nationally on FOX. Sonny Gray is scheduled to start for the Red Sox, and Jared Jones will take the mound for the Pirates.
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