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Gabriel Moreno

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Gabriel Moreno
Moreno with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2022
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 2024 season)
Batting average.280
Home runs13
Runs batted in102
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 before being traded to the Diamondbacks during the 2022–23 offseason. In his first season with Arizona, Moreno won a Gold Glove Award and aided in the team's first National League pennant since 2001.

Professional career

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Toronto Blue Jays

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Moreno signed with the Toronto Blue Jays as an international free agent on August 13, 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

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

2023

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After backing up Carson Kelly to start the 2023 season, Moreno became the Diamondbacks' primary catcher midway through the season after Kelly was designated for assignment.[25] In his first full season in MLB, Moreno finished with a 3.1 defensive WAR, the highest in the majors. Moreno also caught 39% of potential base-stealers, which was the best in all of MLB (minimum 20 attempts), and he led all MLB catchers in defensive runs saved with 20.[26] With his offense, he had a slash line of .284/.339/.408 with seven homers, 50 runs batted in, and six stolen bases.[27] Moreno was awarded the Rawlings Gold Glove Award for National League catchers.[28]

On October 7, 2023, in game 1 of the NLDS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Moreno hit a three-run home run off Clayton Kershaw in the first inning to blow the game wide open that extended his team's lead from two to five runs before Kershaw recorded the first out, scoring Tommy Pham and Christian Walker.[29] In game 3, Moreno was one of four Diamondbacks hitters to hit a home run in the third inning off Dodgers pitcher Lance Lynn. After his first initial home run was deemed foul, Moreno sent the next pitch he saw over the left field wall, covering 420 feet.[30]

After the Diamondbacks went down 2–0 against the Philadelphia Phillies in the NLCS, Moreno was moved up from fifth to third in the batting lineup.[31] With Moreno hitting third, the Diamondbacks won four of the next five games to clinch their first National League pennant and their first World Series appearance since 2001, with Moreno driving home the game-winning runs in games 4 and 7.[32] In game 2 of the World Series against the Texas Rangers, Moreno hit a home run in the Diamondbacks 9–1 victory, their lone victory of the series.[33]

2024

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On August 5, 2024, Moreno suffered a left groin strain and was removed from the game. He was later placed on the 10-day injured list with a left adductor strain.[34]

References

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  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 28 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Blue Jays protect five from Rule 5 Draft". MLB.com.
  5. ^ Armstrong, Laura (19 September 2021). "Gabriel Moreno, Orelvis Martinez are the top prospects in the Blue Jays' pipeline". thestar.com. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  6. ^ Mitchell, Scott (8 June 2021). "Blue Jays might have real deal in 'electric' Moreno". TSN.ca. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  7. ^ Matheson, Keegan (30 June 2021). "Notes: Prospect Moreno hurt; Jansen, Kirk". MLB.com. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  8. ^ "Blue Jays promote top prospect Gabriel Moreno to triple-A Buffalo". Sportsnet. 21 September 2021. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  9. ^ Armstrong, Laura (21 September 2021). "Blue Jays top prospect Gabriel Moreno moves one step closer to big leagues". thestar.com. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  10. ^ Davidi, Shi (4 November 2021). "Gabriel Moreno Grows Leadership Skills, Versatility". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  11. ^ Ashbourne, Nick (19 November 2021). "What the history of elite young catchers tells us about Jays prospect Gabriel Moreno". Sportsnet. Retrieved 3 April 2022.
  12. ^ Bannon, Mitch (25 March 2022). "Hype Builds as Blue Jays Top Prospect Gabriel Moreno Arrives at Spring Training". si.com. Retrieved 3 April 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. 11 June 2022. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  18. ^ Phillips, Steve (10 June 2022). "Moreno a low-risk promotion for Blue Jays". TSN.ca. Retrieved 11 June 2022.
  19. ^ @BlueJays (11 June 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 28 June 2023.
  24. ^ "OF/C Varsho acquired by Blue Jays for Gurriel, Moreno". Toronto Blue Jays. 23 December 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2022.
  25. ^ "D-backs DFA catcher Carson Kelly as Gabriel Moreno activated". ESPN. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  26. ^ Oliver, Jake. "A Look at Gabriel Moreno's Growth Over Past Season". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  27. ^ "Diamondbacks' Gabriel Moreno: Knocks in three runs in rout". CBS Sports. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  28. ^ Gilbert, Steve. "Moreno wins 1st, Walker captures 2nd straight NL Gold Glove". MLB.com. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  29. ^ Guardado, Maria (7 October 2023). "Moreno: Game 1 HR off Kershaw 'a dream come true'". MLB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  30. ^ "Diamondbacks 1st team to homer 4 times in postseason inning with big 3rd vs. Dodgers". AP News. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  31. ^ Toribio, Juan. "Moved up in lineup, Moreno provides G4-winning hit". MLB.com. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  32. ^ Kepner, Tyler. "How catcher Gabriel Moreno became a 'difference maker' for the Diamondbacks". The Athletic. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  33. ^ "Gabriel Moreno, Diamondbacks jump on Rangers' Montgomery in World Series Game 2". arizonasports.com. Retrieved 31 March 2024.
  34. ^ "Gabriel Moreno (groin) exits Diamondbacks' win, put on IL". ESPN.com. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
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