NAME: Yohandy Morales
SCHOOL: Miami (FL)
POSITION: 3B
HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 6’4″, 225 lbs
B/T: R/R
D.O.B.: October 9, 2001
PREVIOUSLY DRAFTED: NEVER
scouting report
Coming out of Braddock High School in Miami, Yohandy Morales was in the mix to be a first or second day pick in 2020, as he was a 2019 Under Armour and Perfect Game All-American as well as the 36th ranked high school prospect by Baseball America and the 77th overall draft eligible prospect by the publication as well. However, the shortened 2020 draft and a strong commitment to Miami sent Morales to campus.
Once Morales officially joined Miami, he was an impactful bat right away. As a freshman, the third baseman knocked 11 home runs and had an .874 OPS across 54 games. He really began to take off during his sophomore season when he smashed 38 extra base hits (17 doubles, three triples, 18 home runs) with a .329/.411/.650 slash line and a 1.061 OPS in 60 games. Morales kept that pace up this season as a junior, hitting 33 extra base hits (13 doubles, 20 home runs) to the tune of a .408/.475/.713 triple slash and a 1.187 OPS in 61 games.
The Miami native has received several accolades during his collegiate career, which can be found here. Some of the more notable achievements are being named to the 2021 ACC All-Freshman Team, the 2022 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, and the 2023 All-ACC First Team. The industry view on Morales varies as MLB Pipeline is the highest on the third baseman, ranking him 17th on their Top 200. Baseball America has Morales as the 25th prospect (15th ranked college prospect), whereas he’s ranked more similarly by ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, The Athletic’s Keith Law, and Prospects Live, checking in at 31st, 32nd, and 36th respectively.
An imposing figure, the Floridian stands at 6’4″ weighing 225 lbs and intends to punish baseballs while at the plate. Morales came out of high school as a shortstop and even saw some game action there as a freshman at Miami before ultimately transitioning to third base fulltime as a sophomore.
Man, this is an easy 110 EV from Yohandy Morales… really easy juice to the biggest part of the yard. đŸ“ˆ pic.twitter.com/fOCKQwW4PJ
— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) June 4, 2023
As mentioned above, Morales is an imposing figure at the plate with average to slightly below running ability. He’s an aggressive hitter with the ability to barrel up baseballs and drive them to all parts of the field with a 108.9 mph 90th percentile exit velocity per Baseball America. Possessing plus raw power, he’s more power over hit at this time and can be beat with velocity up or breaking pitches out of the zone with some pitch recognition deficiencies. The swing is thought of as a bit long through the zone, although he did improve upon his strikeout rate this season (21.4 K% in 2022, 19.8 K% in 2023).
On the defensive side of the ball, Morales is thought of as an average fielder with above average arm strength. He currently displays the tools and mobility necessary to be able to stick at the hot corner, however concerns do exist that he’d have to move to first base or an outfield corner as he continues to mature in pro ball.
Why Would the white sox draft Yohandy Morales?
As Carlos Collazo noted on a recent episode of the FutureSox podcast, the White Sox are a team that could use an influx of impact bats to the system. Considering that clear need, Morales would be a player that checks the box of providing a power threat every time he steps in the box. The pitch recognition/bat path issues are evident, so it would be an issue the player development staff would need to address.
Morales being able to stick at third would be ideal, as the current major league team was built on the backs of several first base/designated hitter type players playing out of position out of necessity. The arm strength is a plus, so a fit in right field could be possible if he further outgrew the hot corner, although the below average running ability would be tested.
It’s also possible that Morales could be had at 15 at some sort of under-slot deal, allowing the White Sox to potentially afford over-slot prospects on day two/three of the draft which could strengthen a weak system. The White Sox and their scouts are already familiar with Morales, as they were interested in the player coming out of high school before the shortened draft in 2020.
Mock Draft outcomes
Kicking things off with the dueling MLB Pipeline mocks, Jim Callis’ most recent mock has Morales being selected by the Astros at pick 28. Callis’ mock did note that the White Sox liked Morales coming out of high school (as also mentioned above). Jonathan Mayo also had Morales going to the Astros in his most recent mock but also mentioned him possibly in play around the Brewers at pick 18.
Carlos Collazo of Baseball America had mock draft version 3.0 drop last week and stayed the course with the White Sox selecting Morales at 15, just as he had in version 2.0. In his most recent update, Keith Law of The Athletic also had Morales to the White Sox, stating that they’ve been heavily linked to him and TCU’s Braden Taylor. ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel had Morales going to the Mets at pick 32, but mentioned that he’d been getting some buzz to be picked in the 20s. Joe Doyle of Future Star Series also had Morales going to the Mets at pick 32 in his latest mock.
Photo by: Doug Murray/AP
This would be a very White Sox pick. Another guy who ends up at 1B or plays a poor LF.
Hope they pick a shortstop, center fielder, or catcher in the 1st round. Then pitching, pitching, and more pitching (they get hurt or don’t work out, you need a lot of pitching). Would love to have 3-4 at least OK starters in AAA (1 or 2 that could be a No.1 or 2) and then 5 relief arms that can be called up like the Rays always seem to have! When I look at low and high A, things are looking up. More pitching please, just not in the 1st round.