Many were critical of the Pittsburgh Pirates when they traded All-Star closer David Bednar to the New York Yankees at the 2025 trade deadline. Not only was Bednar a fan favorite, but a quality closer, and the return looked light compared to other relievers who were traded at the time.
However, the headliner of the swap, Rafael Flores Jr. , has earned his spot on the team with an outstanding second half . He looks like the Bucs' starting backstop going into the 2027 campaign.
Sep 22, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Gregory Soto (31) and catcher Rafael Flores Jr. (43) shake hands after defeating the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
It is only a 155-plate-appearance sample, but his first impression has been as good as you could hope for. Flores Jr. owns a .271/.342/.529 triple-slash, with a .373 wOBA, and 133 wRC+. Flores Jr. already has ten home runs, with an isolated slugging percentage coming in at .257. He has drawn walks at an above-average 9.7% rate, albeit with a 27.7% strikeout rate.
Flores' underlying numbers are also very promising. He has an excellent 91 MPH exit velocity and a 14.4% barrel rate. Flores Jr.'s average exit velocity is similar to that of teammate Brandon Lowe (91 MPH), along with National League MVP frontrunner Pete Crow-Armstrong (90.6 MPH), and American League home run leader Ben Rice (91.8 MPH). His 27.9% chase rate is above-average, though he does have a below-average 30.6% whiff rate.
Additionally, Flores' expected numbers align with his performance thus far. He has a .354 xwOBA and a .507 xSLG%. His expected wOBA on contact (or xwOBACON for short) is .458. If Flores had enough qualifying plate appearances, he would be top 15 in the league in xwOBACON, just behind Los Angeles Angels superstar Mike Trout (.461) and Kansas City Royals ' breakout first baseman Jac Caglianone (.461), and just ahead of the aforementioned Rice (.456) and Milwaukee Brewers ' breakout first baseman Jake Bauers (.456).
Sep 20, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Rafael Flores Jr. (43) hits a game winning two run home run against the Kansas City Royals during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Flores generates plenty of raw power from both his strong frame and swing. He stands at 6'3", 232 pounds. His average swing speed clocks in at 73.9 MPH, which is identical to Bobby Witt Jr. and 30-homer third baseman Miguel Vargas . He also cut his swing length down from 7.9 feet last year to 7.4 feet this year.
Although the Pirates acquired Flores Jr. as a bat-first catcher, his defense behind the dish hasn't been terrible. He has +2 defensive runs saved, with +1.4 framing runs. He has displayed an above-average arm from the catcher position, with his throws averaging 84.3 MPH.
Flores will need to improve his blocking, as he has -3 blocking runs so far. However, if the Pirates can develop Henry Davis into a quality defensive catcher despite his blocking issues in the minors, they might be able to do something similar with Flores Jr. He can also play first base, which allows them to sub in Davis late into games and keep Flores' bat in the lineup.
The Pirates do not have very many quality catching options. Although Davis has become an excellent defender, he has a .576 OPS this season, and hasn't posted even a .700 OPS in any season yet. His single-season high mark is .653 from his 2023 rookie season. Endy Rodriguez showed plenty of promise with the bat earlier this year with a 131 wRC+ over 159 plate appearances, but was sidelined by hip surgery . While the Pirates seem optimistic about his return, he will have to answer how well his hip holds up behind the plate, if that is the position he returns to .
All in all, Flores Jr. has all but secured the starting catcher job for 2027. He has put his offensive upside on full display over his first extended look against big league pitching. His defense is definitely serviceable behind the plate, and he's still young enough to make strides defensively.
Main Photo Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
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