Globe iconLogin iconRecap iconSearch iconTickets icon

The Flo Goes On, Florial and Park Promoted to High-A Tampa

Yankees promote two key pieces of the RiverDogs' lineup
August 1, 2017

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The New York Yankees were buyers on Monday's trade deadline, and with deals to strengthen the Big-League club comes new opportunities for New York's young prospects. Two key pieces of Charleston's electric lineup have been promoted as outfielder Estevan Florial and infielder Hoy Jun Park were each

CHARLESTON, S.C. - The New York Yankees were buyers on Monday's trade deadline, and with deals to strengthen the Big-League club comes new opportunities for New York's young prospects. Two key pieces of Charleston's electric lineup have been promoted as outfielder Estevan Florial and infielder Hoy Jun Park were each called up to High-A Tampa on Tuesday as announced by the Yankees.
In a pair of corresponding moves, the RiverDogs receive infielder Dermis Garcia and outfielder Steven Sensley from rookie-ball Pulaski. The two Pulaski sluggers should provide some pop in a RiverDogs lineup that ranks 13th in the South Atlantic League in homers with the two combining for 18 homers prior to promotion.

Florial, 19, has been one of the most explosive players in the South Atlantic League this season, showcasing an exciting combination of speed, power, and defense. The Dominican teenager is currently batting .297 with 11 home runs, 43 RBI, and swiping 17 bases in 91 games with Charleston at the time of his promotion. The Dominican Republic native ranks eighth in the league in average, second in runs scored (64), and fourth in total bases (166) while slugging .483 on the season. Currently rated the Yankees' No. 5 prospect by MLB.com and the No. 90 prospect in all of baseball, Florial has been with the Charleston nine since Opening Day and currently leads all RiverDogs hitters in batting, OPS (.855), total bases, and runs while being T-1st in homers, and ranking second in doubles (21) and stolen bases.
Park, 21, wraps up his second season in the Lowcountry after appearing in over 200 games in a RiverDogs uniform, and becoming a fan favorite at The Joe. This season, the Seoul, South Korea native hit .262, reached base at a .358 clip, and slugged a career-high six home runs while leading the RiverDogs with 18 stolen bases in 86 games. Park went out with a bang, slugging a go-ahead homer in the second inning to snap out of a cold stretch and scoring the winning run of a RiverDogs walk-off win on Monday night at Riley Park against Columbia. Over his two seasons in the Lowcountry, the lefty bat hit .241 (236-for-981) with 17 triples that is tied for the second-most all-time in Charleston's franchise history.
Garcia, currently rated as the No. 23 prospect in the Yankees system by MLB.com, joins the RiverDogs from Pulaski and becomes the 10th different teenager to suit up for Charleston this season. The 19-year-old Dominican got off to a hot start to the season, roping nine homers and hitting .270 (31-for-115) in 33 games in the Appalachian League prior to his promotion. Of his 31 total hits, 15 went for extra bases, good for a .565 slugging percentage.
Sensley, the Yankees' 12th round pick in June out of the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, also provided pop for Pulaski, launching nine home runs, hitting .316 (31-for-98), and collecting 23 RBI in 27 games to start his pro career. The 21-year-old native of Baton Rouge made two appearances in the Gulf Coast League after the draft before joining Pulaski on June 28.
RiverDogs tickets, including options for the all-new Riley Park Club, are now available and can be secured by contacting the box office at (843) 577-DOGS (3647) or online at riverdogs.com/tickets. Those that can't make it to the park can follow every pitch of the RiverDogs season on WTMA 1250 AM in the tri-county area or by streaming online at riverdogs.com and the TuneIn Radio App by searching "RiverDogs." All 70 RiverDogs home games are available with online streaming video at MiLB.tv.
--RIVERDOGS--