Yohandy Morales, 3B
DoB: October 9, 2001
6'4", 225
From Miami, FL
Drafted as the first pick in the 2nd round in 2023 (#40 overall)
https://miamihurricanes.com/roster/yohandy-morales/https://www.milb.com/player/yohandy-morales-691002Career at Miami: 1.048 OPS, 49 home runs, .343 BA
2023: Led Miami in average (.408), hits (98), home runs (20), RBI (70), at-bats (240), total bases (171), on-base percentage (.475), slugging percentage (.713) and OPS (1.187).
Keith Law:
Morales looks like an easy top-10 pick when you see him walk on the field or take batting practice, or even just a few game swings where he makes contact, but he whiffs too much for that and most scouts think he’ll end up in left field or at first base, making the bat that much more important. Morales looks the part, certainly, and has a pretty swing that can produce significant power but more often puts the ball on the ground. You can beat him with velocity up or breaking stuff down and away, not dissimilar to former Florida Gator Jud Fabian, who was the Orioles’ second-round pick last year. Morales is neither natural nor easy at third and I think at least has to move to right field in pro ball. To his credit, he’s hit better in the ACC, .353/.430/.500 with just an 18.5 percent strikeout rate, and may be able to hit his way back up into the middle of the first round. There just seem to be better bets to hit in this class, between Morales’ two clear holes and the fact that a lot of the hard contact he makes comes in the form of groundballs.
BA Scouting report:
BA Grade:55/Extreme
Tools:Hit: 45. Power: 60. Run: 45. Field: 50. Arm: 60.
Morales was a talented and toolsy high school prospect who ranked as the No. 77 overall player in the 2020 draft class. He made it to campus at Miami, where he initially split time at shortstop and third base, before sliding over to the hot corner full time. Morales is a large, athletic righthanded hitter with a 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame that has plenty of strength now, but still room to add good weight in the future. He’s been a consistent producer for the Hurricanes and is a career .341/.412/.624 hitter over 172 games with 46 home runs. Morales takes big hacks, and starts his swing with a bit of a hand hitch before firing through the zone with a lengthy bat path. He has plus raw power that he generates with little effort in batting practice, and generates tons of damage on contact with a 94.2 mph average exit velocity in 2023 and a 108.9 mph 90th percentile mark. Morales has pure hit questions thanks to both the length of his swing and his pitch recognition. He chases out of the zone frequently and has long seemed to struggle identifying breaking balls, which leads him to getting out in front and off-balance at times. He missed 20% of the time vs. fastballs in 2023 compared to a 37% whiff rate on breaking balls. Morales is an average runner who has solid defensive tools at third, including solid mobility, athleticism and plus arm strength. He’ll need to become more consistent in the field and could potentially slow down as he adds strength to an already large frame.
https://www.masnsports.com/blog/nats-find-another-power-bat-with-morales-in-round-2As much attention was given to the Nationals’ first-round pick - and rightfully so given the talent available and the significance of that selection - internally, club officials believed their second-round pick was going to be just as important to the franchise. Though they lost the No. 1 overall pick to the Pirates via the new draft lottery, they still maintain the first choice for every other round based on their worst-in-baseball record in 2022.
"When you're picking that high (in the first round), it takes care of itself," Kline said. "A lot of the work, most of the work actually, went into pick 40."
So with the first pick of the second round of a draft loaded with elite college hitters, the Nats added another one to their farm system. MLB Pipeline has rated Morales as high as the 20th best draft prospect. Kline insisted the Nationals had him even higher than that on their internal draft board.
Morales, for his part, also believed he would be long gone before the second round commenced late Sunday night.
"Obviously, I went further than I thought I was going to go," he said. "At the end of the day, it happened for a reason. I'm in a great organization now, and I'm just ready to do what I can to help the team win games."
A physical presence at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, Morales tore up ACC pitching this season, batting .408 with 20 homers, 70 RBIs, a .475 on-base percentage and 1.187 OPS in 61 games for the University of Miami. The son of a former Cuban National Team player who spent time in the minors with the Yankees and Red Sox, "Yo Yo" (the younger Morales’ nickname since he was 10) was deemed one of the best power bats in this draft.
Power, of course, is something the Nationals could sorely use at the major league level. Given his pedigree hitting for power in a major college conference, Morales could find himself on a fast track to the big leagues, perhaps not far behind Crews, who many believe will be ready to debut sometime in 2024.
"I feel like Washington got two of the best college hitters in the draft, if I'm being honest," he said. "I've been with Dylan since I was younger. I've played with him a lot. That's going to be a special group when we go out there. Ready to hit some baseballs."
A Miami native, Morales said he's excited to be able to play spring training ball in nearby West Palm Beach. He's even played at The Ballpark of the Palm Beaches already.
Morales’ power is his top-rated skill, but there is some concern about his penchant for swinging and missing, especially at pitches out of the strike zone. Regardless, his ability to make loud contact was too intriguing for the Nationals to pass up. They also like his defensive skills, despite his large body at third base.
"He's a big, strong, physical corner player," Kline said. "Surprising speed for a guy his size. He's a tick-above-average runner. He's a really good defender. He throws above average. And power at a corner spot."
Given his size, there will be those who wonder if Morales can make it long-term as a third baseman. He adamantly believes he can not only play the position throughout his career, but thrive there.
"I'm super confident in my ability to play third base," he said. "Honestly, I started taking pride in it more in my last year of college. I was more worried about my hitting when I first got to college. ... Anything I can do to get better at third, if it was early work on defense or anything, I was out there trying to get better. And I feel like it's paid off."
