With the Cangrejeros, winners of the winter league, he was selected as the Most Valuable Player
14ymedio, Matanzas, Andy Lans,January 23, 2026 – On January 20, the Cangrejeros de Santurce were crowned champions of Puerto Rican winter league baseball. Standing out on that team as Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) was Yohandy Morales, son of Cuban ballplayer Andy Morales, renowned for his decisive home run against the Baltimore Orioles.
Had Andy Morales not hit that crucial home run to steer Team Cuba to victory over the Baltimore Orioles in a 1999 exhibition series, it might have been more difficult for him to sign with the New York Yankees in 2000 after escaping the island by boat. Had Andy Morales not taken to the sea in search of freedom, the life of his son Yohandy Morales, born in Miami in 2001, might have been different, and had Andy not had the opportunity to sign with Major League Baseball franchises in the United States, his experience might not have been the same in guiding Yohandy’s athletic path. Today, Yohandy is a Minor League player with the Washington Nationals.
So, in a way, if Andy Morales had not hit that home run against the Orioles, you might not be reading this article about his talented offspring.
Yohandy is trending in Puerto Rico after being crowned champion and named Finals MVP of the winter league. The lanky 24-year-old, capable of playing both first and third base, was a key piece in the Cangrejeros’ six-game victory over the Leones de Ponce in a best-of-nine championship series. Santurce thus captured its 17th title, while the Cuban American experienced a pivotal moment in honing his talent.
He posted an impressive .395 batting average in 44 official at-bats.
It is no small detail that MLB Pipeline has ranked Yohandy 21st on the Washington Nationals’ Top 50 Prospects list for 2025. Andy Morales’s son has climbed to the Triple-A level within the organization and has also received invitations to Spring Training.
But why dwell on what Morales Jr. accomplished in the Puerto Rican league? The right-handed slugger joined the team when the 2025–2026 regular season was already well underway and, even so, recorded an impressive .395 batting average in 44 official at-bats. He added eight extra-base hits, including a home run, and six runs batted in: outstanding numbers that confirmed his consistency as a contact hitter.
In the postseason, Santurce faced the Criollos de Caguas in the semifinals before being crowned champions against Ponce. Across both stages of the championship, Yohandy Morales led in hits, collecting 17 for a .386 batting average, paired with a .471 on-base percentage (OBP), eight RBIs, and six extra-base hits. Of his 12 games in the playoffs, the most memorable was Game 3 of the final, in which he went 2-for-3 with a home run, a double, three RBIs, and a hit-by-pitch.
The fact that Yohandy can perform in Caribbean baseball, where the game is played “hotter” and pressure is often greater than in the Minor Leagues, sets an encouraging precedent for his professional future.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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