Gabriel Moreno
Arizona Diamondbacks – No. 14
Catcher
Born: (2000-02-14) February 14, 2000 (age 24)
Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
MLB debut
June 11, 2022, for the Toronto Blue Jays
MLB statistics
(through 2023 season)
Batting average.290
Home runs8
Runs batted in57
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Gabriel José Moreno (born February 14, 2000) is a Venezuelan professional baseball catcher for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022.

Professional career

Toronto Blue Jays

Moreno signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent on August 3, 2016.[1] Moreno made his professional debut in 2017 with the Rookie-level Dominican Summer League Blue Jays. In 2018, Moreno split the year between the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League Blue Jays and the Rookie Advanced Bluefield Blue Jays, slashing a cumulative .359/.395/.575 with four home runs and 36 RBI.[2] The following year, Moreno played for the Single-A Lansing Lugnuts, hitting .280/.337/.485 with career-highs in home runs (12), RBI (52), stolen bases (7), and walks (22).[2]

Moreno did not play in a game in 2020 due to the cancellation of the minor league season because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] The Blue Jays added him to their 40-man roster after the 2020 season.[4]

Moreno was assigned to the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats to begin the 2021 season, where he excelled, batting .373/.441/.651 with eight home runs and 45 RBI in 32 games.[2][5][6] On July 3, 2021, Moreno underwent surgery on his right thumb after suffering a fracture.[7] Moreno returned from the injury later in the season and was promoted to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons.[8][9] After the season, he played for the Mesa Solar Sox of the Arizona Fall League, where he hit .329 with a home run and 18 RBI in 22 games, as well as 18 games with the Cardenales de Lara of the Venezuelan Winter League.[2][10][11]

In March 2022, Moreno participated in spring training with the Blue Jays.[12] He began the 2022 season with Buffalo.[13]

Moreno joined the Blue Jays in Detroit on June 9, 2022, following an injury sustained by catcher Danny Jansen,[14][15] but was not activated until June 11, when he was added to the day's starting line-up at the catcher position and batting eighth in the order.[16][17] He was slashing .324/.380/.404 in 36 games with the Bisons prior to his call up.[18]

Moreno earned his first major league hit on June 11, 2022, a single, in his fourth at-bat of the day.[19][20][21][22] On October 5, Moreno hit his first career home run, a three–run shot off of Baltimore Orioles reliever Mike Baumann.[23]

Arizona Diamondbacks

On December 23, 2022, the Blue Jays traded Moreno and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Daulton Varsho.[24]

On October 7, 2023, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Moreno hit a three-run home run off Clayton Kershaw in the first inning for the Diamondbacks to blow the game wide open that extended his team's lead from two to five runs, scoring Tommy Pham and Christian Walker.[25]

On November 5, 2023, Moreno was awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for National League catchers.

References

  1. ^ Lott, John. "'Physically, he's got it': Converted infielder Gabriel Moreno morphs into Blue Jays' top catching prospect". The Athletic.
  2. ^ a b c d "Gabriel Moreno Minor, Winter & Fall Leagues Statistics & History".
  3. ^ "2020 Minor League Baseball season cancelled". mlb.com. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  4. ^ "Blue Jays protect five from Rule 5 Draft". MLB.com.
  5. ^ Armstrong, Laura (September 19, 2021). "Gabriel Moreno, Orelvis Martinez are the top prospects in the Blue Jays' pipeline". thestar.com. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  6. ^ Mitchell, Scott (June 8, 2021). "Blue Jays might have real deal in 'electric' Moreno". TSN.ca. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  7. ^ Matheson, Keegan (June 30, 2021). "Notes: Prospect Moreno hurt; Jansen, Kirk". MLB.com. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  8. ^ "Blue Jays promote top prospect Gabriel Moreno to triple-A Buffalo". Sportsnet. September 21, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  9. ^ Armstrong, Laura (September 21, 2021). "Blue Jays top prospect Gabriel Moreno moves one step closer to big leagues". thestar.com. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  10. ^ Davidi, Shi (November 4, 2021). "Gabriel Moreno Grows Leadership Skills, Versatility". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  11. ^ Ashbourne, Nick (November 19, 2021). "What the history of elite young catchers tells us about Jays prospect Gabriel Moreno". Sportsnet. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  12. ^ Bannon, Mitch (March 25, 2022). "Hype Builds as Blue Jays Top Prospect Gabriel Moreno Arrives at Spring Training". si.com. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
  13. ^ "Bisons Notebook: The wait is on for top Blue Jays catching prospect Gabriel Moreno". 4 April 2022.
  14. ^ "Opinion | the Jays' Gabriel Moreno is supposed to be the next can't-miss prospect, but prospects miss". The Toronto Star. 9 June 2022.
  15. ^ "Blue Jays giving top prospect Gabriel Moreno an opportunity to showcase himself".
  16. ^ "Blue Jays officially recall catcher Gabriel Moreno ahead of MLB debut".
  17. ^ "Blue Jays officially call up top prospect Moreno". TSN.ca. June 11, 2022. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  18. ^ Phillips, Steve (June 10, 2022). "Moreno a low-risk promotion for Blue Jays". TSN.ca. Retrieved June 11, 2022.
  19. ^ @BlueJays (June 11, 2022). "The kid can hit 🔥 There's Gabriel Moreno's FIRST as a Major Leaguer 👏" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  20. ^ "Blue Jays fall to Tigers in top prospect Gabriel Moreno's MLB debut". CBC. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  21. ^ "Moreno gets hit in debut; Jays fall to Tigers - TSN.ca". 11 June 2022.
  22. ^ "Gabriel Moreno's Heroes, Helpers, Home and Blue Jays Debut". 11 June 2022.
  23. ^ "WATCH: Blue Jays' top prospect Gabriel Moreno hits first career MLB home run". cbssports.com. Retrieved June 28, 2023.
  24. ^ "OF/C Varsho acquired by Blue Jays for Gurriel, Moreno". Toronto Blue Jays. December 23, 2022. Retrieved December 23, 2022.
  25. ^ Guardado, Maria (October 7, 2023). "Moreno: Game 1 HR off Kershaw 'a dream come true'". MLB.com. Retrieved January 27, 2024.

External links

Arizona Diamondbacks current roster
National League Catcher Gold Glove Award
Catcher Fielding Bible Award
Categories