There has been a lot of conversation around what the Nationals could do at the first base position in 2026. Most have assumed that the Nats would bring in some sort of veteran option at the position. Toboni
hinted at that idea during the Winter Meetings. However, as we get deeper into the offseason, we need to explore some of the internal solutions.
The guy I want to look at today is Yohandy Morales. Despite having some strong pedigree and decent performance, he has gotten lost in the shuffle a bit. Morales was a second round pick out of the University of Miami back in 2023. He has slowly worked his way up the ladder the last couple of years, making his way to Triple-A in 2025.
Morales has never blown up as a prospect, but he has never been awful either. In his Minor League career, Morales has hit .285 with an .800 OPS. While he has plenty of raw power, it has not totally shown up in games yet, with just 22 homers in 944 professional at bats. When he gets a hold of one, it can go a long way though.
Drafted as a third baseman, Morales has been playing more first base lately. He can still play some third, but is probably a better fit at first base. As a first baseman, there is going to be a lot of pressure on his bat. There are questions about whether the bat is good enough to survive as an MLB first baseman. That is why he has slowly slid down the Nats prospect rankings.
Right now, Morales is the Nats 21st ranked prospect according to MLB Pipeline. Given his pedigree and solid performance, that seems a bit surprising on face value. However, as you dig into the offensive profile, you begin to find some red flags.
Morales had a strong start to the season at AA, but following a promotion to AAA, he ran into some problems. He began to get exposed a bit by higher level pitching. Morales struck out over 30% of the time and hit the ball on the ground over 50% of the time in Rochester. That is a dangerous combination, especially for a bat first prospect.
Morales actually tapped into more power this year, slugging a career high 15 homers. However, he still has a lot to figure out to become the Nats long term answer at first base. Scouts have concerns about Morales’ long swing, and some think he needs a complete swing change to survive at the next level.
His swing makes him late on a lot of pitches. Morales hardly ever pulls the ball in the air and often gets beat to the spot by premium velocity. With the new regime in place, there is a better chance that Morales can make those necessary adjustments. It did not seem like his swing changed much the past couple years despite the scouts concerns.
Interestingly, Morales has been playing some Winter League ball over in Puerto Rico, and he has been doing well in a small sample size. In his first 7 games, Morales is hitting .387. Puerto Rican winter ball is not as competitive as the Dominican winter league, but it is still nice to see him doing well.
I have my questions about his profile and it is pretty clear he needs to make some adjustments. However, if those adjustments do come, he could be a breakout candidate. The exit velocities are elite, which means he would have plenty of home run power if he put the ball in the air more. At 24 years old, 2026 is going to be a big year for him.
Yohandy Morales is one of the players I am most interested in seeing during Spring Training. This feels like the year where Morales either takes that next step and becomes a big leaguer or becomes a bit of a non-factor in the organization. He has kept his head above water, but this is the year where he needs to prove he can become a big leaguer.
If Morales has a big year, he can stake his claim to the first base spot, but he needs to make improvements. He is at a crossroads in his career right now. The new player development team could be the best thing that has ever happened to him though. I am interested to see how his season goes because it will tell us a lot about him, for better or for worse.
