With pitchers and catchers set to report to spring training on Tuesday ahead of the official start of spring training, one Washington National will look to build on a strong offseason after suiting up in the Caribbean Series last week and drawing honors.

First baseman Yohandy Morales was named to the Caribbean Series All-Star team on Sunday night after hitting .500 and posting a pair of home runs across 22 at-bats and five games, including a combined 7-of-9 with one walk and home run over his last two games. Morales suited up for Puerto Rico, who finished 2-2 in the event and closed out the week long event with an 8-3 win over Panama as he finished 4-of-5 at the plate.

He opened the event with a two-run home run against Mexico Verde that got Puerto Rico on the board before a 5-4 win, while he followed it up with a three-hit performance in a 5-3 loss against the Dominican Republic the following day.

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It was a strong showing for Morales, who will now look to continue that play into the start of spring training with players set to report this week. Morales was also one of the non-roster players invited to spring training last month where the former second round pick will look to build on a productive 2025 season in the minors.

Across Double and Triple-A, Morales finished the 2025 season with a .265 batting average and 15 home runs and 71 RBIs against 164 strikeouts and 57 walks in just over 500 at-bats and 128 games played. Across his minor league career, he has hit .285 with an .800 OPS as he looks ahead to his potential major league debut. One concern is his strikeout rate over 30% and a high rate of ground balls during his time with Triple-A Rochester in 2025.

Morales, previously ranked just outside of the Nationals’ top 20 prospects ahead of offseason trades, is coming off a strong showing in the Puerto Rican league where he hit .387 with a .548 SLG and .955 OPS paired with a trio of doubles and RBIs across 32 at-bats and seven games.

It marks the latest encouraging sign from Morales, now 24 years old looking to prove himself in the majors with new leadership now in place.

Could that materialize in 2026? President of baseball Paul Toboni hinted that first base was one of a handful of positions the front office could look outside the organization to address ahead of Opening Day, but two weeks after making that statement, nothing has materialized for the Nationals beyond waiver claims. Luis Garcia is someone Toboni has previously pointed to as a candidate to step back in at first base while Abimelec Ortiz, one of five players received in the MacKenzie Gore trade, adds to the list of candidates despite being drafted as a third baseman.

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Morales now enters spring training as one of the more intriguing pieces with a chance to take a jump and blossom into a possible major league player.