Edward Florentino’s High-A power surge continues, fueled by a quicker adjustment at the plate

High-A Greensboro may have come up short on Sunday afternoon, but Edward Florentino’s swing is starting to look like it belongs at the level. In a 10-7 loss to Bowling Green at First National Bank Field, the Pirates prospect hit two home runs, giving Greensboro a burst of extra-base damage that bookended his recent climb in form.

According to MLB’s recap, Florentino got the scoring started with a solo shot to right-center off right-hander K.C. Hunt. He added his second homer in the seventh against righty Kaleb Corbett, this one a two-run blast that carried his power to the opposite field after a fly ball at the wall glanced off the glove of left fielder Jose Perez.

MLB’s story framed the performance as the next step in an adjustment period. Florentino is still working through what the organization has often described as a learning curve when players face tougher breaking balls and more aggressive bullpen arms at High-A. That process has been visible in his season production, but the recent shape of his swing has changed.

The Pirates’ No. 2 prospect has totaled 10 home runs at High-A, and MLB reported that through Greensboro’s first 48 games he carried a.222/.352/.422 line with a.774 OPS. The broader context, per the same report, is that the 19-year-old returned to Single-A to start the season, launched three homers in nine games, then earned a promotion. Since arriving at High-A, the batting average has lagged, but the raw power is staying loud and the approach has begun to stabilize.

That stabilization shows up in the recent game log. MLB said Florentino has three home runs in his last three games and seven extra-base hits in his last seven. Over his last 10 games, he slashed.319/.442/.696, a stretch that suggests he is making more consistent contact and pulling more hard-hit balls. The recap also tied the current timing to his earlier rhythm shifts, noting that his earlier multi-home-run experience came just a day after his first career multihomer game at the lower level.

Off the field, the performance carries extra weight because of what’s next on the development calendar. MLB reported that Florentino will represent Pittsburgh in the Futures Game on July 12 at Citizens Bank Park, joining fellow Pirates prospect Seth Hernandez and other top minor league talent from across the system’s next wave of stars.

For Greensboro, the immediate takeaway is simple: Florentino is no longer just a “possibility” at High-A, he’s starting to shape outcomes with the kind of extra-base power that can swing tight minor league games. For Pittsburgh, it is a report that its highest-upside position prospect is translating his long-range tools into consistent damage at the next rung, and that the time spent adjusting is beginning to pay dividends as he moves deeper into the summer.

The next test is whether the surge can last through a wider sample of High-A pitching. The scouting question does not change, it just sharpens: can he keep producing while opponents adjust to his tendencies, and can he maintain the plate discipline swings that have accompanied the home-run spike? Until then, his July form and his Futures Game spotlight will be the clearest window into whether this is a short hot streak or a sustained breakthrough.