Can Morales be Nats’ long-term solution at first or third?

PROSPECT REVIEW: YOHANDY MORALES

Age on opening day 2025: 23

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

Ranking: No. 9 per MLB Pipeline, No. 7 per Baseball America

MLB ETA: 2025
* Projected by MLB Pipeline

Signing bonus: $2.6 million

2024 levels: Single-A Fredericksburg and Double-A Harrisburg

2024 stats: 75 G, 307 PA, 269 AB, 30 R, 76 H, 13 2B, 1 3B, 7 HR, 41 RBIs, 5 SB, 3 CS, 32 BB, 70 SO, .283 AVG, .368 OBP, .416 SLG, .785 OPS

Quotable: “I think right now, it's still getting reps in both places. I know a lot of players will move off shortstop and move to a corner. He was a shortstop in high school, too, But with him, it's having that versatility because you never know where you're going to play. I think he did a really good job transitioning and playing a lot of first this year, which was tougher because he'd never touched a first baseman's mitt before. But he can still play third, too. And towards that second half, we played him a lot more at third as well. Obviously, he missed a lot of time, unfortunately, too, but keeping that versatility going into next year, for sure.” – Eddie Longosz, Nationals assistant general manager for player development and administration, on Yohandy Morales’ defensive versatility

2024 analysis: Morales started his professional career last year looking to prove he was a first-round talent that should not have slipped to the second round in the 2023 draft. The Nationals were happy he did, though, adding an athletic infielder with raw power and college experience to their rebuild.

As a 21-year-old, he advanced all the way to Double-A Harrisburg by the end of the 2023 season. That would be his starting point in 2024, and he could advance to Triple-A at some point this summer.

Unfortunately, that next step will have to wait after Morales was limited to just 75 games this year with a thumb injury he suffered while sliding into home in May. The injury kept him sidelined for two months until he was able to play six rehab games with Single-A Fredericksburg at the end of July.

Over his 69 games in Harrisburg, Morales slashed .269/.362/.384 with a .745 OPS, 11 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 34 RBIs, four stolen bases in seven attempts and 31 walks. As expected with any young hitter getting his first extended stay in the upper levels of the minor leagues, he struggled with strikeouts, fanning 69 times.

Morales was drafted to play third base. But the Nats continued to give him reps at first base. He appeared in 45 total games at first versus 20 at third. That shift across the diamond continues to be a work in progress as he committed five errors at first while only committing two at the hot corner, where he’s more familiar.

2025 outlook: The Nationals don’t seem too concerned about Morales’ bat. Tabbed as one of the best college hitters of the 2023 draft class (along with fellow Nats selection Dylan Crews), it should only be a matter of time before the right-handed slugger taps into his raw power at the plate.

The biggest question mark surrounding Morales is where he’ll play in the field.

Washington is still searching for its first long-term solution at third base since Anthony Rendon in 2019. With Brady House looking more like he’ll get the first crack at it. Morales’ next-best path to the majors may be at first, where the Nats are looking for their first long-term solution since Ryan Zimmerman.

The thumb injury not only limited his at-bats, but also his reps at first base. Morales only had a small amount of playing time on the right side of the infield three years ago in a collegiate summer league. So the more time spent over there, the better.

That doesn’t mean the idea of him playing third is completely gone. He’ll likely get more looks at the hot corner in spring training and maybe start the season there with Harrisburg while House starts at Triple-A Rochester.

But if House proves he can be the guy over there (and if the Nats don’t acquire a big-name first baseman this offseason), it will probably be in Morales’ best interest to make the move to first permanent.