Yuli Gurriel facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yuli Gurriel
Gurriel with the Miami Marlins in 2023
Free agent
First baseman / Third baseman
Born: (1984-06-09) June 9, 1984 (age 41) Sancti Spíritus, Cuba
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Professional debut
NPB: June 8, 2014, for the Yokohama DeNA BayStars
MLB: August 21, 2016, for the Houston Astros
NPB statistics
Batting average	.305
Hits	73
Home runs	11
Runs batted in	30
MLB statistics (through 2024 season)
Batting average	.280
Hits	952
Home runs	98
Runs batted in	468
Teams
Yokohama DeNA BayStars (2014–2015) Houston Astros (2016–2022) Miami Marlins (2023) Kansas City Royals (2024)
Career highlights and awards
MLB 2x World Series champion (2017, 2022) Gold Glove Award (2021) AL batting champion (2021) International All-World Baseball Classic Team (2006)
Medals Men's baseball Representing  Cuba World Baseball Classic Silver 2006 San Diego Team Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Team Silver 2008 Beijing Team Baseball World Cup Gold 2003 Havana Team Gold 2005 Rotterdam Team Silver 2007 Taipei Team Silver 2009 Nettuno Team Silver 2011 Panama City Team Intercontinental Cup Gold 2002 Havana Team Gold 2006 Taichung Team Gold 2010 Taichung Team Pan American Games Gold 2003 Santo Domingo Team Gold 2007 Rio de Janeiro Team Bronze 2011 Guadalajara Team Central American and Caribbean Games Gold 2006 Cartagena Team Gold 2014 Veracruz Team

Yulieski Gourriel Castillo (born June 9, 1984), known as Yuli Gurriel, is a professional baseball player. He plays as a first baseman and third baseman. Yuli is currently a free agent, meaning he is not signed to a team. He has played for teams in Cuba, Japan, and Major League Baseball (MLB).

Yuli Gurriel was once a member of the Cuba national baseball team. He even won a gold medal at the 2004 Olympic Games. He is known for being a flexible player. He has also played shortstop and second base in the major leagues.

Yuli is the son of famous Cuban player Lourdes Gurriel. Many experts thought Yuli was the best player in Cuba in 2006. Scouts from MLB teams believed he would be a top draft pick if he could join their league. In 2016, he left Cuba and started his MLB career that same year.

In 2017, Gurriel helped the Houston Astros win the 2017 World Series. This made him one of only a few players to win both an Olympic gold medal and a World Series title. He also helped the Astros win the American League (AL) pennant in 2019, 2021, and 2022. In 2022, he won his second World Series with the Astros.

In 2021, Gurriel won the AL batting title. This means he had the highest batting average in the American League. He was the second Cuban-born player to achieve this. At 37 years old, he was one of the oldest players to win a batting title. Gurriel also won a Gold Glove Award at first base in 2021.

Yuli Gurriel's Baseball Journey

Playing in Cuba

Gurriel had a strong season in the 2004–05 Cuban National Series (CNS). He led the league in hits and runs scored. In the 2005–06 season, he was even better. He led the league in runs batted in (RBI), runs, and triples. He hit 27 home runs, just one short of the record. Gurriel played his Cuban career with Sancti Spíritus and Industriales.

Time with Yokohama DeNA BayStars

Gurriel playing at Meiji Jingu Stadium in 2014

On May 11, 2014, Gurriel signed a one-year contract with the Yokohama DeNA BayStars in Japan. He joined the team halfway through the season. He batted .305 with 11 home runs and 30 RBIs in 62 games.

Leaving Cuba for MLB

In February 2016, Gurriel and his younger brother, Lourdes Jr., left Cuba. They had just played in the Caribbean Series in the Dominican Republic. They moved to Haiti to become eligible to play in Major League Baseball. In June 2016, MLB announced that Gurriel could be signed by any major league team as a free agent.

His brother, Lourdes Jr., signed with the Toronto Blue Jays later that year.

Joining the Houston Astros

First Steps in MLB (2016)

Gurriel with the Astros in 2016

On July 16, 2016, Gurriel signed a five-year contract with the Houston Astros. He played 15 games in the Astros' minor league system. He started in the Rookie-level Gulf Coast League. Then he moved up to Class A-Advanced, Class AA, and finally Class AAA. He joined the major league team on August 21. In his first 19 games with the Astros, he batted .344 with three home runs. He mainly played first and third base.

Winning the World Series (2017)

In 2017, Gurriel played 139 games. He batted .299 with 43 doubles, 18 home runs, and 75 RBIs. He was a top rookie in the American League. He set new club rookie records for doubles and extra base hits. Gurriel also finished fourth in the AL Rookie of the Year voting.

During Game 3 of the 2017 World Series, Gurriel hit a home run. After this, he made a gesture that was seen as disrespectful. Gurriel apologized and said he understood it was offensive. He was suspended for the first five games of the 2018 season. He also had to take sensitivity training. The Astros donated his lost salary to a charity.

In Game 5, Gurriel hit a three-run home run. The Astros won that game 13–12. In Game 7, the Astros won 5–1, earning their first World Series championship. Gurriel became the fifth player to win both an Olympic gold medal and a World Series.

Key Seasons (2018–2020)

On September 21, 2018, Yuli and his brother Lourdes Jr. (playing for the Toronto Blue Jays) both hit two home runs in their games. They were the first brothers to do this on the same day in MLB history. Yuli was named AL Player of the Week for his great performance. He batted .291 for the 2018 season.

In 2019, Gurriel had a fantastic season. He hit a game-tying grand slam on July 7. He won the AL Player of the Week Award again. He also won the AL Player of the Month for July. On August 7, he tied a club record with eight RBIs in one game.

For the 2019 season, Gurriel batted .298 with 40 doubles, 31 home runs, and 104 RBIs. He set new career highs in many areas. At 35, he was the oldest Astro to have 40+ doubles, 30+ HR, and 100+ RBIs in one season.

In Game 7 of the 2019 World Series, Gurriel hit a solo home run. However, the Astros lost the game, and the Washington Nationals won the championship.

The 2020 season was shorter due to the pandemic. Gurriel batted .232 with six home runs and 22 RBIs. The Astros signed him to a one-year contract extension.

Batting Champion and Gold Glove (2021)

After the 2020 season, Gurriel worked hard and lost weight. In 2021, he had a great start. On May 7, he had four hits and four RBIs against the Blue Jays.

In 2021, Gurriel batted .319, winning the AL batting title. He was the oldest player to win his first batting title since 2002. He also tied for the major league lead in sacrifice flies. On defense, Gurriel was excellent at first base. He led all AL first basemen in assists. He won his first career Gold Glove Award, becoming the second Astro to win it at that position.

In the ALCS, Gurriel batted .455. In the 2021 World Series, the Astros lost to the Atlanta Braves. Gurriel was the final out of the series. This was the third time he was the final out in a championship game.

2022 Season and Second World Series

The Astros picked up Gurriel's option for the 2022 season. On May 17, Gurriel hit one of five Astros home runs in a single inning. This tied a major league record for home runs in one inning.

In 2022, Gurriel batted .242 with 8 home runs and 53 RBIs. He also had a career-high 8 stolen bases. He led the Astros with 40 doubles.

In the 2022 ALDS, Gurriel played a key role. He batted .400 as the Astros swept the Mariners. During Game 5 of the 2022 World Series, he left with a knee injury. The next day, the Astros defeated the Philadelphia Phillies to win Gurriel his second World Series title.

After the World Series, Gurriel became a free agent.

Playing for the Miami Marlins

On March 10, 2023, Gurriel signed a contract with the Miami Marlins. He made the team's Opening Day roster.

On April 25, 2023, Gurriel hit an inside-the-park home run. This happened when the ball got away from an outfielder.

The Houston Astros gave Gurriel his 2022 World Series ring on August 16, 2023. This happened during a ceremony at LoanDepot Park. In 108 games for Miami, Gurriel batted .245 with four home runs and 27 RBIs. He became a free agent again after the season.

Time with the Kansas City Royals

On August 31, 2024, Gurriel was traded to the Kansas City Royals. He joined their active roster the next day. He made his season debut on September 1, hitting an RBI single.

Yuli Gurriel's International Career

Gurriel played for the Cuba national baseball team before he left Cuba. He helped the team win a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He also won gold medals at the World Cup of Baseball in 2003 and 2005. In the 2005 World Cup, he led all batters with eight home runs.

Gurriel played second base for Cuba at the 2006 World Baseball Classic (WBC). He made the final out for Cuba in their championship game loss to Japan. He batted .273 in that tournament. He also made the final out in the 2008 Beijing Olympics tournament against South Korea.

Gurriel played for Cuba again in the 2009 WBC. He played as their third baseman. He batted .333 with two home runs and six RBIs.

How Yuli Gurriel Bats

Yuli Gurriel is a right-handed batter. It is interesting that he often has a better batting average against right-handed pitchers than against left-handed pitchers. He is also good at hitting breaking balls, especially sliders, that are thrown away from the bat.

Yuli Gurriel's Family Life

Yuli Gurriel is the older brother of Lourdes Gurriel Jr., who plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks. Their father is Lourdes Gurriel. Yuli's family lives in Miami, Florida.

See also

In Spanish: Yulieski Gourriel para niños