Morales out to prove Nats got first-round talent with No. 40 pick

PROSPECT REVIEW: YOHANDY MORALES

Age on opening day 2024: 22

How acquired: Drafted in second round in 2023 from the University of Miami (FL)

Ranking: No. 7 per MLB Pipeline, No. 8 per Baseball America

MLB ETA: 2026
* Projected by MLB Pipeline

Signing bonus: $2.6 million

2023 levels: Rookie-level Florida Complex League, Single-A Fredericksburg, High-A Wilmington and Double-A Harrisburg

2023 stats: 42 G, 189 PA, 166 AB, 30 R, 58 H, 16 2B, 4 3B, 0 HR, 32 RBIs, 1 SB, 1 CS, 19 BB, 36 SO, .349 AVG, .423 OBP, .494 SLG, .917 OPS

Quotable: "I feel like Washington got two of the best college hitters in the draft, if I'm being honest. I've been with Dylan (Crews) 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." – Yohandy Morales

2023 analysis: The Nationals knew they were getting either the best pitcher or best position player in this year’s draft as they sat behind the Pirates at No. 2 overall. What they didn’t know is that they would also be getting another top college bat in the second round after selecting Dylan Crews with their first pick.

Morales was ranked as MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 prospect coming into the draft after batting .408 with 20 homers and a 1.187 OPS in 61 games with the University of Miami. So everyone – including “Yo Yo” himself – was surprised when the slugging third baseman slipped to the second round.

The Nationals didn’t complain. With the No. 40 overall pick, they selected Morales, who former longtime vice president of scouting Kris Kline said had “one of the loudest bats I heard this year.”

Morales started his professional career three weeks after the draft in the FCL. After just two games, he moved on to Fredericksburg, where he easily showed his advanced college bat was too much for Single-A pitching to handle.

In 18 games with the FredNats, the right-handed slugger slashed .390/.448/.571 with a 1.020 OPS, 10 doubles, two triples, 17 RBIs, one stolen base, eight walks and 18 strikeouts. That earned him another quick promotion to Wilmington.

With the Blue Rocks, Morales found similar success. He slashed .314/.400/.443 with an .843 OPS, five doubles, two triples, 14 RBIs and eight walks to 16 strikeouts in 18 games. And that earned him another quick promotion before season’s end.

Morales joined fellow 2023 draft picks Crews and Andrew Pinckney along with top prospects James Wood, Brady House, Robert Hassell III and Trey Lipscomb at Harrisburg in mid-September. Although he played in just four games, he held his own by going 4-for-14 (.286) with a .769 OPS, a double and three walks.

There were some questions as to whether or not he could stick at third base as a professional. He made 34 starts at third across all four levels, posting a .924 fielding percentage and committing six errors over 292 ⅔ innings at the hot corner. He otherwise mostly was the designated hitter, but he also played 19 innings at first base between Wilmington and Harrisburg.

2024 outlook: Morales is out to prove he shouldn’t have slipped past the first round. After the Nats took Crews at No. 2, there were 29 other position players drafted before they selected Morales at No. 40, including two other third baseman and 12 college bats.

Unsurprisingly, he is off to a great start to his career offensively. His experienced college bat allowed him to progress and find success through four minor league levels in 2 ½ months. Where he sticks in the field, however, is a question.

His 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame might make it difficult for him to stick at third base long-term, especially with House having a bounceback year at third. Even though he was adamant that he can thrive at the hot corner with a strong arm and surprising athleticism for someone his size, it is interesting the Nationals already tried him out at first before his season ended.

Wherever he plays, Morals will do so with a chip on his shoulder. And the Nationals hope that extra motivation will help him blossom into a first-round talent because they need to have hit on him.

The Nats’ draft history over the last decade has not been very good, with the jury still out on the most recent first-round picks. Crews is as close to a sure thing as they come. But if Morales pans out to be a major league contributor or even a star, he and the Nationals will be able to smirk at the other teams that passed on him.