Adalberto Flores (minors02)

Adalberto Lanier Flores

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 7", Weight 227 lb.
• School University of Turabo

• Born November 4, 1986 in Humacao Puerto Rico

BR Minors page

Biographical Information

Adalberto Flores has pitched in the minor leagues.

Flores left college in 2004. In the 2005 amateur draft, the Florida Marlins took him in the 32nd round. The scout was Carlos Berroa. Adalberto was 2-2 with a 2.59 ERA for the 2005 GCL Marlins. He had Tommy John surgery, though, and missed 2006-2007. Let go by Florida, he signed with the Texas Rangers. He was 5-1 with 12 saves and a 4.14 ERA for the 2008 Clinton Lumber Kings. He struck out 72 in 63 innings. He tied for third in the Midwest League with 48 games pitched. In '09, he was 6-2 with two saves and a 3.40 ERA for the Bakersfield Blaze, whiffing 73 in 55 2/3 innings and holding lefties to a .209 average.

The tall right-hander split 2010 between Bakersfield (1-1, 2 Sv, 4.70, 9 K in 7 2/3 IP) and the Frisco RoughRiders (3-4, 4 Sv, 4.33, 61 K in 60 1/3 IP). Lefties hit just .203 against him while righties hit .300 in a reverse of the usual splits. That off-season, he pitched for the Surprise Rafters (0-1, 6.97) and Ponce Lions (2-0, 0.90). Spending all of 2011 with Frisco, the 24-year-old put up good numbers (5-4, Sv, 3.32 in 41 G, 80 K in 81 1/3 IP). Control was an issue as he walked 38.

Flores pitched for the Puerto Rican national team in the winter of 2011. He pitched in four games in the 2011 Baseball World Cup, allowing 3 hits, 1 walk and no runs in four innings while fanning two. He was the 4th hurler in a combined shutout against Japan. In an upset over the defending champion USA, Flores relieved Juan Padilla with two on in the 9th, one out and a 4-2 lead. He allowed a RBI leader to Travis d'Arnaud and intentionally walked Jordan Danks. Jordy Mercer tied the game at four. Flores recovered to retire Brett Jackson and Joe Thurston. After Luis Figueroa homered in the top of the 10th, Flores retired Matt Clark, A.J. Pollock and Tommy Mendonca in order in the bottom of the inning. The Humacao native got credit for the win. Despite his fine work in the World Cup, Flores was not used in the 2011 Pan American Games. Puerto Rico did not get a medal in either event.

Signed by the Houston Astros, Flores split the summer of 2012 with the Corpus Christi Hooks (1-1, 7.65 in 13 G) and the Oklahoma City RedHawks (6-1, 7.54 in 37 G). He tied Murilo Gouvea for third in the Astros' chain in appearances. He saw action that winter for Ponce (1-1, Sv, 4.26 in 7 G) and the Carolina Giants (1-0, 1.12 in 5 G). Moving to the Mexican League for 2013, he went 2-3 with 19 saves and a 3.88 ERA for the Saltillo Saraperos. He was 9th in the LMB in saves, between Erubiel Gonzalez and Jailen Peguero. With Ponce in winter ball, he fanned 29 in 25 2/3 IP, going 4-2 with a 2.45 ERA. He tied Nao Higashihama, James Houser and Victor Mateo for second in the Puerto Rican League in wins and tied Arik Sikula and Xavier Cedeno for 7th in games pitched.

Back with Saltillo in '14, he was 7-2 with 11 saves but his ERA rose to 5.23 in 55 games. He tied Armando Rodriguez for the team lead in wins. Joining the Senadores de San Juan for 2014-2015, he was 3-5 with a 3.49 ERA. He tied Reinier Roibal and Giancarlo Alvarado for the league lead in losses, was 8th in ERA (between Pat Misch and Roibal) and led with 52 whiffs (7 ahead of Giovanni Soto). With the 2015 Guerreros de Oaxaca, he had a 6-5, 5.46 record in 30 games, with a 1.96 WHIP. He was much better in the winter, going 5-2 with a 2.04 ERA and 0.94 WHIP for the Santurce Crabbers. He was third in the league in ERA (behind Joseph Colon and Roibal), tied for first in wins (with Kanekoa Texeira and Tyler Herron) and led again in strikeouts (35, 3 ahead of Jonathan Sánchez). He won Pitcher of the Year for his performance.

Sources

• 2011 Rangers Media Guide
• 2011 World Cup