Rafael Flores Jr...Is a 2018 graduate of Katella (Calif.) High School...Attended Cypress (Calif.) College (2019-20), where he hit .342 over 49 games in his two years with the Chargers...Transferred to Rio Hondo (Calif.) College (2022), where he was named to the All-South Coast Conference first team after batting .380 (63-for-166) with 16 doubles, nine homers and 36 RBI in 39 games with the Roadrunners...Also earned the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings Gold Glove Award at Rio Hondo.
2025
Appeared in 10 spring games as a non-roster invitee with New York (AL)...Began the season with Somerset (Yankees’ Double-A)...Hit safely in a season-high eight straight games from April 24-May 2, going 12-for-33 (.364) with five doubles, two home runs, six RBI, seven runs scored and a 1.102 OPS...Homered in three straight games from May 16-18 vs. Portland...Had five straight multi-hit games from June 21-26, going 10-for-22 (.455) with five doubles and five RBI in that stretch...Played in his final game with the Patriots on July 18 at Hartford before being promoted to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (Yankees’ Triple-A) on July 19 and making his RailRiders debut that afternoon at Worcester...Led all New York Minor League players in hits, doubles, extra-base hits (39) and total bases (166), while also ranking second in RBI, tied for fourth in homers and tied for eighth in runs scored, when he was promoted (ranked fourth among full-season players in slugging, fifth in OPS and sixth in batting)...Was also named an Eastern League All-Star (post-season) after leading the league in extra-base hits and total bases, while also ranking second in both hits and RBI, third in both home runs and slugging, tied for fourth in doubles, tied for fifth in runs, sixth in OPS and seventh in batting, during his time with Somerset...Was traded to Pittsburgh, along with Edgleen Perez and Brian Sanchez, for David Bednar on July 31...Was rated by both MLB Pipeline and Baseball America as the Yankees’ No. 8 prospect at the time he was acquired by the Pirates...Hit a combined .279 (104-for-373) with 23 doubles, 16 home runs, 60 RBI, 41 walks, 51 runs scored and an .826 OPS in 97 games split between Somerset and Scranton/Wilkes-Barre...Led all Yankees Minor Leaguers in hits, while also ranking second in total bases (177), tied for second in doubles, third in RBI and extra-base hits (40), sixth in home runs and 10th in runs scored at the time of the trade (also ranked sixth among full-season players in slugging and OPS and eighth in batting)...Was assigned to Indianapolis and made his Indians debut as the designated hitter on Aug. 2 at Iowa...Went 4-for-5 with three RBI on Aug. 21 at Syracuse...Hit two homers and had a career-high-tying four RBI on Aug. 26 vs. Buffalo...Played in his final Minor League game on Sept. 14 vs. Iowa...Hit a combined .280 (142-for-508) with 27 doubles, 22 homers, 88 RBI, 56 walks, 68 runs and an .824 OPS in 133 games split between the three teams...Was selected by Pittsburgh, where he remained for the rest of the season, on Sept. 16...His 28 RBI during his time with the Indians ranked ninth in the International League...Made his Major League debut as the starting first baseman on Sept. 17 vs. Chicago (NL), going 1-for-3 with a walk (doubled off Cubs starter Matthew Boyd for his first Major League hit)...Doubled in his second game on Sept. 19 vs. the A's...Joined Fred Carisch (1903), Cotton Tierney (1920), Stu Clarke (1929), Billy Cox (1941), Jack Merson (1951) and Jack Wilson (2001) as the only Pirates since at least 1900 to double in each of their first two games, according to Elias.
2024
Hit .279/.379/.495 (121-for-434) with 67 runs, 31 doubles, 21 HR, 68 RBI, 66 BB and eight SB in 122 combined games with High-A Hudson Valley and Double-A Somerset...Among qualified Yankees farmhands, ranked second in home runs, doubles, extra-base hits (52) and total bases (215), third in hits, tied for fourth in walks, fifth in RBI, SLG and OPS (.874), seventh in runs scored and ninth in batting average...Following the season, was tabbed as the No. 10 prospect in the Yankees organization, according to Baseball America...Was also labeled by the publication as the Yankees’ 2024 Minor League Player of the Year.
2023
Spent the entire season with Hudson Valley...Hit safely in 11 straight games from April 12-30 after going hitless in his season debut (was 19-for-44/.432 with five doubles, 10 RBI, three walks, seven runs and a 1.003 OPS during the streak)...Also hit safely in nine straight games from May 10-19, going 14-for-35 (.400) with three walks, five runs scored and a .961 OPS during the streak...Ranked tied for eighth among all Yankees Minor Leaguers with 79 hits at the conclusion of July...Also ranked third in the South Atlantic League in batting (.290) and ninth in OBP (.378) at the end of July...Hit .385 (5-for-14) with two doubles, a homer, two RBI, five walks, four runs and a 1.325 OPS over five postseason games.
2022
Made his professional debut with the FCL Yankees (Yankees’ Rookie-Level)...Homered in his debut on Aug. 9 vs. the FCL Phillies and hit a grand slam on Aug. 23 vs. the FCL Tigers...Hit .545 (6-for-11) with two doubles, a triple, a home run, three RBI and six runs scored in three postseason games.
