Jasson Dominguez quickly captured the hearts of Yankees fans with his play on the field. Unfortunately, we won’t see him in the big leagues again for an extended period of time after a UCL tear. But with his door temporarily closing, it opens an opportunity for Estevan Florial.
Florial was recalled from Triple-A on Monday prior to New York’s postponed game in Boston against the Red Sox. The 25-year-old was in the midst of a solid season for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Across 101 games played (482 plate appearances), he slashed .284/.380/.565. That was accompanied by 23 doubles, four triples, 28 home runs, 79 RBI, and 83 runs scored.
He first debuted with New York in 2020. Despite seeing big-league action in both 2021 and 2022, Florial has racked up just 29 games played and 63 plate appearances during this time. Now that he’s back up with the Yankees for the remainder of 2023, what’s the plan?
It’s a revolutionary one — they’re going to let him play consistently. Here’s a quote from manager Aaron Boone, courtesy of NJ.com’s Max Goodman:
He’s going to get an opportunity to play and play a lot. Hopefully he can take advantage and build off of what’s been a strong season, parlay that into some big-league success, really catapult him into the winter and put himself into a really good situation.
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Well, what do ya know, right? Goodman also shared the following:
Florial has always had the tools, previously ranked as the best prospect in the Yankees’ organization, but his inability to produce consistently or shake his “swing-and-miss stuff,” as Boone put it, have held him back from reaching his potential.
The best way to find out if he can produce consistently and adjust is to let him play every day. For whatever reason, this seems to be a concept that’s hard for both New York teams to grasp.
It’s been quite the year for Estevan Florial. He was designated for assignment in the spring and landed back in Triple-A for the Yankees because he went unclaimed through waivers. The former top prospect has responded with a terrific season at the plate. Now, he’ll get a chance over the final few weeks to show he can still be part of the solution in the Bronx.
You can reach Matt Musico at matt.musico@xlmedia.com. You can follow him on Twitter: @mmusico8.
