Ramon Flores Stats & Scouting Report

AB	55
AVG	.2
OBP	.353
SLG	.291
HR	1

Full name Ramón Flores
Born 03/26/1992 in Barinas, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 190 / Bats: L / Throws: L
Debut 05/30/2015

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Flores made a slow, steady climb through the Yankees system and made his major league debut on May 30, 2015. Traded to Seattle in the Dustin Ackley deal in July, Flores broke his right ankle two weeks after the trade. The Brewers acquired him in a November deal for middle infielder Luis Sardinas. An average runner and grinder, Flores provides a mix of patience on-base skills, as shown by his career .363 OBP. His below-average home run power and corner defensive profile (though he can fill-in in center) give him a fourth-outfielder profile. Flores likely will start 2016 in Triple-A Colorado Springs and could see sporadic time in the big leagues throughout the year.
As the 2013 season got underway, the Double-A Trenton outfield of Flores, Slade Heathcott and Tyler Austin was tabbed one of the most tantalizing in the sport. Two years later, only Flores, the youngest of the bunch, has reached Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. His 2014 season was interrupted by a broken ankle at midseason, but he still put up seven home runs in 63 games, which was just four off of his career high of 11, set back in 2011 at low Class A Charleston. Flores always has had an above-average knowledge of the strike zone, as shown by his career walk rate of 11.4 percent, and feel to hit, but the development of his power will be key going forward because he doesn't have the defensive chops to play center field on an everyday basis. At 22, Flores was one of the youngest players in the International League. He'll return there in 2015 to see if he can elevate his profile past what evaluators currently peg as a useful extra outfielder.
Scouts have liked Flores' offensive game for years while waiting for more production, a trend that continued in 2013. They saw much the same Flores at Double-A Trenton, a tweener who can play center field but fits better on a corner, with one of the lowest slugging percentages (.363) among Eastern Leaguers who played primarily corner outfield. Flores, one of just six players who played the entire season in the EL at 21 or younger, remains comfortable working deep counts and ranked sixth in the league in walks (77). The lefthanded hitter's line-drive power was to his pull side only. He spent a good part of the winter at the Yankees' Tampa complex working to put on weight and add strength. If his power doesn't develop, Flores will be no more than a fourth outfielder. A member of the 40-man roster, he could head to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 2014, but a return to Trenton isn't out of the picture, either.
The Yankees' outfield depth makes Flores a bit of a stealth prospect, but scouts inside and outside of the organization agree he can hit. Some club officials consider him the system's best pure hitter. Flores got off to a rough start last April before hitting his way onto Trenton's playoff roster. He's a disciplined hitter with a good sense of the strike zone. Even scouts who see Flores as an extra outfielder rather than a regular consider him an above-average hitter with feel for his swing. Opinions are mixed on his power, as some see him as a contact-first hitter with fringy pop, while others project him to grow into more power, citing his size 14 feet as evidence of coming physicality. His supporters envision him producing 15-20 homers annually. Flores is an average runner with average arm strength that plays up thanks to a quick transfer and accuracy. A first baseman earlier in his career, he has moved up the defensive spectrum, spending 33 games in center field in 2012 and is well suited for left on a regular basis. After getting added to the 40-man roster in November, Flores should return to Double-A for 2013. He'll likely will play left field, deferring to Slade Heathcott or Mason Williams.
Still listed at 5-foot-10 and 150 pounds, his size when he signed at age 16 four years ago, Flores now stands closer to 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds. He has made significant strides as a prospect, becoming one of the system's best pure hitters thanks to his advanced approach and keen strike-zone judgment. Flores' swing was evident when he was an amateur in Venezuela, with some scouts considering him his nation's top hitter in its 2008 international signing class. His overall game elicits comparisons to players such as Luis Gonzalez and Gerardo Parra. Flores' raw power is just average, but he gets to it regularly because of his plate discipline. He has an easy, natural swing and uses the whole field consistently, and he's not fazed by lefthanders. He has good instincts at the plate and on the bases, where he's a solid baserunner. Because his speed is below-average and his arm is fringy, Flores is best suited for left field and has played some first base as well. He will start 2012 in high Class A and could advance quickly because of his offensive polish.

Minor League Top Prospects

Flores batted just .196/.303/.241 as a 17-year-old in the GCL a year ago, then returned and led the league in on-base percentage. He owns a classic lefthanded swing, does a good job of driving balls into the gaps and should develop some home run power as he gets stronger. Flores played all four corner positions for the Yankees and projects best as a right fielder. He has average speed and range to go with a strong, accurate arm.