11/5/22

UPDATED RESEARCH - Mack's Mock Pick: 1.18 - 3B - Yohandy Morales

 


Yohandy Morales 

3B      Miami 

2021 Miami stat line - 60-G, 240-AB, .329, 18-HR

 

10-19-22 - https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/1/15/2023-mlb-draft-prospects-fx4td?s=03 - 

25. Yohandy Morales

Third Base, Miami 

Morales was a popular draft name in 2020 with multiple teams having thrown money his way during the draft. He turned them down and elected to head to Miami to further his development. Morales had a very noisy swing in high school but it's quieted down considerably. He's much more direct to the ball these days without the anxious hands and feet in his load. 

An aggressive hitter, Morales isn't looking to walk, but he does limit his strikeouts to a reasonably healthy degree. He generates big exit velos and finds a lot of barrels, though his misses are too often dribblers on the infield. There is swing-and-miss present here too. That, however, should improve with time and reps. 

At his best, "YoYo" does a ton of damage to the baseball and projects as a third baseman with an average hit tool, above average power, a solid average runner and a reliable glove.

 

10-16-22 - 2023 MLB Draft: an early look at the ACC

http://dugoutedgebaseball.blogspot.com/2022/10/2023-mlb-draft-early-look-at-acc.html?m=1&s=03 - 

3. 3B Yohandy Morales, Miami.

Bat: R. Throw: R. 6'4", 210 lbs. Born 10/9/2001. Hometown: Miami, FL.

2022: 18 HR, .329/.411/.650, 6 SB, 60/34 K/BB in 60 games.

Yohandy Morales has been a priority follow for scouts down in South Florida for a while now. A big name in the 2020 high school class, he got off to a hot start before the COVID shutdown and pushed his name into top three rounds consideration, but ultimately stayed home to attend Miami. 

Morales burst onto the scene in Coral Gables by slashing .284/.343/.531 with eleven home runs as a freshman, then improved each number in his triple slash this past spring before a strong showing with the US Collegiate National Team over the summer. 

First and foremost, Morales stands out for his power. He's a big, lanky guy at 6'4", packing plenty of lean strength onto that frame that helps him put great leverage on the ball. Content with more of a line drive approach for now, he generates big exit velocities and can easily lift the ball out of the park when he wants to, and even his mishits can cause problems for pitchers. To this point, he has been a bit aggressive at the plate and has struck out north of 20% of the time in both of his collegiate seasons, so that will be something to watch this coming spring. 

If he can manage that and show more discipline in 2023, it's an easy first round bat that could end up with 55 hit, 60 power. Additionally, he's a solid athlete that has showed well at third base, making for a very well-rounded profile that will be very intriguing early in the draft. By cutting that strikeout rate just a little, he could easily pass Honeyman and Hurley on this list and be the first ACC player drafted.

 

9-19-22 - Top 20 college prospects for '23 Draft -

https://www.mlb.com/amp/news/top-college-prospects-for-2023-mlb-draft.html - 

15. Yohandry Morales, 3B, Miami

Morales has a big league body at 6-foot-4 and 209 pounds, and he fits the third-base profile with his plus power potential and arm strength. Though he batted .329/.411/.650 with 18 homers during the spring, he also struck out 60 times and comes with some swing-and-miss concerns.

 

8-3-2022 -

Ranking the Top 30 2023 MLB Draft Prospects - 

https://www.oddschecker.com/us/insight/baseball/mlb/20220803-2023-mlb-mock-draft-ranking-the-top-30-2023-mlb-draft-prospects - 

18. Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami

 

7-28-22 -

2023 MLB DRAFT - TOP 150 PROSPECTS -

https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/1/15/2023-mlb-draft-prospects - 

24. Yohandy Morales

Third Base, Miami 

Morales was a popular draft name in 2020 with multiple teams having thrown money his way during the draft. He turned them down and elected to head to Miami to further his development. Morales had a very noisy swing in high school but it's quieted down considerably. 

He's much more direct to the ball these days without the anxious hands and feet in his load. An aggressive hitter, Morales isn't looking to walk, but he does limit his strikeouts to a reasonably healthy degree. 

He generates big exit velos and finds a lot of barrels, though his misses are too often dribblers on the infield. That, however, should improve with time and reps. At his best, "YoYo" does a ton of damage to the baseball and projects as a third baseman with an average hit tool, above average power, a solid average runner and a reliable glove.

 

7-28-22 - Top Third Basemen In 2023 Draft -

https://www.prospectslive.com/prospects-live/2022/1/15/2023-mlb-draft-prospects - 

24. Yohandy Morales

Third Base, Miami 

Morales was a popular draft name in 2020 with multiple teams having thrown money his way during the draft. He turned them down and elected to head to Miami to further his development. Morales had a very noisy swing in high school but it's quieted down considerably. 

He's much more direct to the ball these days without the anxious hands and feet in his load. An aggressive hitter, Morales isn't looking to walk, but he does limit his strikeouts to a reasonably healthy degree. 

He generates big exit velos and finds a lot of barrels, though his misses are too often dribblers on the infield. That, however, should improve with time and reps. At his best, "YoYo" does a ton of damage to the baseball and projects as a third baseman with an average hit tool, above average power, a solid average runner and a reliable glove. 

 

7-20-2022 -

2023 MLB Draft mock

https://www.mlb.com/news/2023-mlb-draft-mock - 

15. White Sox: Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami

After hitting 18 homers for Miami this past spring, Morales led Team USA by hitting .400 and slugging .600 in competition. The power from the right side for this 6-foot-4 infielder is very real.

 

7-19-22 - 2023 MLB Draft: 10 College Players to Know -

https://baseballprospectjournal.com/2023-mlb-draft-10-college-players-to-know/ - 

Yohandy Morales, 3B, Miami 

Morales hits for an exciting combination of average and power. The 6-foot-4, 208-pound right-handed hitter shows an ability to hit for above-average power to all fields. He is an aggressive hitter but limits his strikeouts.

Morales is agile for his size and shows quick actions defensively. He has a strong arm and profiles well at third base.


Mack - 

All his boxes get a check. Does everything well enough to start in this game.

Think Ronny Mauricio v2.0

Nickname: Yo Yo


 

 

2 comments:

Mack Ade said...

Players like this rarely last until the end of the first round.

Paul Articulates said...

Would be a handy guy to have around.