Saturday, October 24

Welcome to the offseason edition of the Nationals Beat newsletter. This is your stop for the latest on and off the field, from news to exclusive player interviews and insights, brought to you by MLB.com club reporter Jessica Camerato.

Yohandy Morales turned heads as a third baseman in college to become the 40th overall pick in the 2023 Draft. He played both corner-infield positions in the Minor Leagues, and he debuted in September as a combination first baseman/designated hitter. 

That month was enough time for the Nationals to envision how they can maximize Morales’ offensive potential to help the team: get him more reps back at the hot corner. 

“There's a lot of people that are playing first base right now,” manager Blake Butera said at the end of the season. “I think if he can move over to third base and play a pretty good third base, it allows him to get in the lineup a little bit more.”

After trading starting first baseman Luis García Jr. to the Yankees, the Nationals platooned the position between Andrés Chaparro and Abimelec Ortiz in August. Morales entered the mix when he debuted on Sept. 1. He played 13 games at first base and two as the DH. 

“We like his bat, of course, and I think he swung the bat really well since he's been up here,” Butera said. “But we haven't had opportunities to give him as much playing time as maybe he deserves because there’s three guys over there at first base.”

Morales, who turned 25 on Oct. 9, slashed .255/.255/.596 in 47 plate appearances. He tallied four doubles, four homers and 10 RBIs. In his debut against the Braves, his first career hit was a home run. 

“To say that that's what we expected him to do, I think, would be a lie,” Butera said. “Obviously, we had high hopes for him and heard really good things about him. But what he's doing right now is pretty incredible. And to do it to right-center, right field, opposite field against some good velocity as well -- which people said that he struggled with -- has just been a testament to the type of player and type of hitter he is and the work he continues to put in.”

Morales plans to train again this winter at the University of Miami, where he played three seasons at third base. There, he became MLB Pipeline’s No. 20 overall Draft prospect and a First-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference player. 

“I was actually drafted as a third baseman,” Morales said. “I've only played a year or two at first base, so I feel confident and comfortable at third base. … No matter where they put me, I'll try to do my best.”

From 2023-26, Morales logged 1,502 1/3 innings at first and 1,091 innings at third in the Nationals’ Minor League system. In the final two months of the season, the Nationals backed up starting third baseman Brady House with Jorbit Vivas and Chaparro. 

“It’s obviously good being able to play multiple positions so you have a spot to play in and help the team out,” Morales said. “So it feels good that they want to open up some spots.”

Morales exceeded the Nationals’ expectations in September. They look forward to what he can do for a full season. 

“That's why we told him, ‘You're too young to be a first baseman only,’” Butera recalled. “‘So part of that is working on your body this offseason, making sure there's more explosiveness, making sure your side-to-side movements are better.'

“That way, there's more to YoYo than just first base with DH.”

Outfielder Teo Banks is the latest Nationals prospect to earn Arizona Fall League weekly honors, with MLB Pipeline naming him to their Week 2 Top Performers. Banks went 7-for-17 with a home run, a double, two RBIs and two stolen bases during that period. MLB Pipeline wrote of Banks:

The 2024 18th-rounder returned to High-A Wilmington for the second straight season and looked much improved, as his OPS rose from .366 to .708 and he stole 21 bases. Banks is continuing his upward trajectory with a strong start in the Fall League while rotating between all three outfield positions. After collecting three knocks in his desert debut, he delivered two more three-hit games last week and went deep for the first time as well. The right-handed hitter has a 40 percent hard-hit rate and his 109.5 mph max exit velocity ranks 23rd on the circuit.

Catcher Harry Ford is scheduled to host a two-day clinic across the pond. 

Ford, who played for Team Great Britain in the World Baseball Classic and whose family is from Oxford, England, is covering the costs for players and coaches to participate in the Nov. 7-8 event in Brighton.

Among those slated to attend are members of the Great Britain Baseball U12, U15 and U18 teams, Great Britain women’s softball head coach Tara Henry and staff and volunteers from Great Britain Baseball.

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