Cuban-American Yohandy Morales Homers, Doubles and Singles in Washington Nationals Debut

September 5, 2026

Cuban-American infielder Yohandy Morales made his Major League debut on September 1, 2026, with the Washington Nationals in a 9-5 win over the Atlanta Braves. The 24-year-old had a perfect night at the plate, going 3-for-5 with a home run, a double, a single and two runs scored.

The son of Cuban slugging legend Andy Morales, a former member of Cuba's national team, Yohandy was born in Miami, Florida, and played college baseball at the University of Miami. The Nationals selected him in the second round (40th overall) of the 2023 MLB Draft, signing him for $2.6 million.

Before his call-up to the majors, Morales put together a strong 2026 season with the Triple-A Rochester Red Wings, batting .286 with 25 home runs, 76 RBIs and 82 runs scored in 104 games, numbers that ranked him among the International League's power leaders. He was also named MVP of the Puerto Rico winter league finals and played in the Caribbean Series in Mexico.

Morales's debut came on the same day fellow Cuban Lázaro Montes homered in his own debut with the Seattle Mariners, a coincidence that drew attention in sports media to the contribution of Cuban-born and Cuban-American players to Major League Baseball in 2026.