Yuli Gurriel

Yuli Gurriel

Yulieski Gourriel Castillo (born June 9, 1984), commonly known as Yuli Gurriel and nicknamed "La Piña", is a Cuban professional baseball first baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He previously played for Sancti Spiritus in the Cuban league and the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB). Gurriel is a former member of Cuba's national team. Always a versatile infielder, he has played shortstop, second base, and third base, but has played mostly first base with the Astros. The son of former Cuban player Lourdes Gurriel, Yulieski was regarded as the best player in Cuba in 2006. At the World Baseball Classic in 2006, Major League Baseball scouts projected that Gurriel would be a first-round draft pick if he were eligible for the draft. He defected from Cuba in 2016. Gurriel made his big league debut that year.

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