Nationals select third baseman Yohandy Morales

By MASN Staff

Masn Nationals

July 09, 2023, 10:50pm

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The Washington Nationals selected collegiate third baseman Yohandy Morales out of the University of Miami with the No. 40 pick in the 2023 First-Year Player Draft on Sunday. President of Baseball Operations and General Manager Mike Rizzo, Assistant General Manager & Vice President of Scouting Operations Kris Kline and Director of Scouting Operations Eddie Longosz made the joint announcement.

Morales, 21, garnered Third-Team All-America honors from The American Baseball Coaches Association/Rawlings and First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference recognition following the 2023 season.

The No. 20 draft prospect according to MLBPipeline.com and No. 26 draft prospect according to Baseball America, Morales hit .408 with 13 doubles, 20 home runs, 70 RBI, 30 walks, 55 strikeouts, seven stolen bases and 58 runs scored in 61 games. He posted a .475 on-base percentage and a .713 slugging percentage. Morales ranked in the ACC in batting average (1^st, .408), slugging (3^rd, .713), OPS (3^rd, 1.187), RBI (4^th, 70) and home runs (6^th, 20).

The 6-foot-4, 225-pound junior reached base in 55 of his 61 games in 2023, hitting safely in 50 of those contests. Morales also posted four multi-home run games and 19 multi-RBI games, including three five-RBI performances.

As a sophomore in 2022, Morales was named Second-Team All-Region by ABCA/Rawlings and Second-Team All-ACC after he hit .329 with 17 doubles, three triples, 18 home runs, 59 RBI, 34 walks, six stolen base and 65 runs scored.

As a freshman in 2021, he hit .284 with 13 doubles, three triples, 11 home runs, 45 RBI, 18 walks and 44 runs scored. For his efforts, he was named a Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball and to the ACC All-Freshman Team.

A native of Miami, Florida, Morales graduated from G. Holmes Braddock High School, where he was a four-year letter winner and three-year captain. Following his senior season, he was the No. 32 ranked high school player in the country according to Perfect Game. In 2019, he participated in the Perfect Game All-American Classic.