Morales, Walters selected on first day of Major League Baseball draft
University of Miami juniors Yohandy Morales and Andrew Walters heard their names called on the first day of the 2023 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft on Sunday evening.
Morales was selected in the second round (No. 40 overall) by the Washington Nationals, while Walters was picked in the Competitive Balance Round B (No. 62 overall) by the Cleveland Guardians.
One of the most prolific hitters in college baseball, Morales cemented himself in the Miami record books across his three seasons at The U.
The Miami native’s 49 career home runs rank fourth all-time by a Hurricane, trailing only Phil Lane, Pat Burrell and Yonder Alonso. Morales also hit .343, drove in 174 runs and tallied a 1.048 OPS.
In 2023, the 6-foot-4, 225-pound third baseman led the Hurricanes in nine offensive categories: average (.408), hits (98), home runs (20), RBI (70), at-bats (240), total bases (171), on-base percentage (.475), slugging percentage (.713) and OPS (1.187).
Morales garnered All-America accolades, finishing with the sixth-most hits, seventh-best average, eighth-highest slugging percentage and tied for 10th in homers in a single season in program history.
With one of the most electric arms in the country, Walters proved to be one of the Hurricanes’ top relievers all-time over the last three years.
The 6-foot-4, 222-pound right-hander notched a 4-1 record with a 1.41 ERA and 26 saves, which are sixth-most in program history.
Over his career, the Palm Bay, Fla., native registered a 15.0 K/9 mark, totaling 170 strikeouts over 102 innings.
A two-time consensus All-American and Stopper of the Year Finalist, Walters wrapped up the 2023 campaign with a career-low 1.21 ERA, allowing just six earned runs over 28 appearances.
With the selections Sunday, a Miami Hurricanes has been picked in 50 consecutive drafts, dating back to 1974. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes have had a pitcher chosen in 20 straight seasons.
