"Yulieski" redirects here. For the pitcher playing for the Cuban national team, see Yulieski González.
"La Piña" redirects here. For other uses, see Piña (disambiguation).
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gurriel and the second or maternal family name is Castillo.
Baseball player
Yuli Gurriel
Gurriel with the Miami Marlins in 2023
Atlanta Braves
First baseman
Born: (1984-06-09) June 9, 1984 (age 39) 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
Home runs
11
Runs batted in
30
MLB statistics (through 2023 season)
Batting average
.281
Home runs
98
Runs batted in
462
Teams
Yokohama DeNA BayStars (2014–2015)
Houston Astros (2016–2022)
Miami Marlins (2023)
Career highlights and awards
2x World Series champion (2017, 2022)
Gold Glove Award (2021)
AL batting champion (2021)
All-World Baseball Classic Team (2006)
Medals
Men's baseball
Representing Cuba
World Baseball Classic
2006 San Diego
Team
Olympic Games
2004 Athens
Team
2008 Beijing
Team
Baseball World Cup
2003 Havana
Team
2005 Rotterdam
Team
2007 Taipei
Team
2009 Nettuno
Team
2011 Panama City
Team
Intercontinental Cup
2002 Havana
Team
2006 Taichung
Team
2010 Taichung
Team
Pan American Games
2003 Santo Domingo
Team
2007 Rio de Janeiro
Team
2011 Guadalajara
Team
Central American and Caribbean Games
2006 Cartagena
Team
Yulieski Gourriel Castillo (born June 9, 1984), commonly known as Yuli Gurriel and nicknamed "La Piña", is a Cuban professional baseball first baseman in the Atlanta Braves organization.[1] He has previously played for Sancti Spiritus in the Cuban National Series (CNS), the Yokohama DeNA BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB), and the Houston Astros and Miami Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB). Gurriel is a former member of Cuba's national team,[2] and an Olympic Games gold medalist in 2004. A versatile infielder, he has also played shortstop, second base, and third base in the major leagues.
The son of former Cuban player Lourdes Gurriel, Yulieski was regarded as the best player in Cuba in 2006.[3] At the World Baseball Classic in 2006, MLB scouts projected that Gurriel would be a first-round draft pick were he eligible for the draft.[3] He defected from Cuba in 2016, and made his major league debut that year.[1]
In his first full MLB season, Gurriel helped lead the Astros to the 2017 World Series championship, making him the fifth player to have won both an Olympic Games gold medal and a World Series title. He also helped lead the club to American League (AL) pennants in 2019 and 2021, and a second World Series title in 2022.
In 2021, Gurriel won the AL batting title, becoming the second Cuban-born player to do so. He was also the AL Gold Glove Award winner for first baseman in 2021, making him the oldest player to win a Gold Glove at that position.[4]
^Street, Jim (February 10, 2006). "Unsung heroes bound to emerge: Lesser-knowns players will share Classic spotlight with stars". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Archived from the original on April 14, 2016. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
^ abManuel, John (March 2, 2006). "World Baseball Classic: Cuba's Yuliesky Gurriel". baseballamerica.com. Baseball America. Retrieved November 4, 2019.
^@MLBStats (November 8, 2021). ".@el_yuly10 is the oldest player (37 years old) to win a Gold Glove at 1B (Age at end of season)" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
Yulieski Gourriel Castillo (born June 9, 1984), commonly known as YuliGurriel and nicknamed "La Piña", is a Cuban professional baseball first baseman...
prisoner and gulag survivor Yuli Dunsky, a Soviet scriptwriter YuliGurriel, a Cuban professional baseball infielder Yuli Gusman, a Soviet, Russian and...
put the Astros in the lead. YuliGurriel doubled after the home run, but Fields was replaced by Tony Cingrani and Gurriel was stranded. In the bottom...
started for the Astros. With two outs in the bottom of the first inning, YuliGurriel hit a two-run double, giving the Astros a 2–0 lead. In the top of the...
two singles to YuliGurriel and Chas McCormick. With runners at the corners, Martín Maldonado hit a run batted in single scoring Gurriel. José Altuve grounded...
streak. The Astros scored five runs in the first inning, including YuliGurriel's first home run of the season. The 2,009th win of Baker's career moved...
start as part of the infield unit of José Altuve, Carlos Correa, and YuliGurriel, which was more postseason starts together than any quartet of teammates...
September of 2000—and he won his second AL Player of the Month Award. YuliGurriel won the AL Rookie of the Month Award in July, and he led all AL rookies...
first player in MLB history to drive in 16 runs in his first 12 games. YuliGurriel became the first Astro to score a run and RBI in seven consecutive games...
Pressly, although none of them participated in the game. First baseman YuliGurriel won the AL batting title, his first, with a .319 batting average, becoming...
two-run victory in Game 3. Game 3 was marred by controversy, as Houston's YuliGurriel made a racially insensitive gesture in the dugout at Los Angeles' Yu...
average slipped to .311 at season's end. He finished runner-up to teammate YuliGurriel for the AL batting title, marking the sixth time in his career he had...
career. Before Game 6 of the 2022 World Series, the Astros replaced YuliGurriel, who exited Game 5 with a knee injury, on their roster with Lee. The...
World Series, Mancini pinch-hit for and defensively replaced an injured YuliGurriel in the eighth inning, his first time playing defense since October 5th...
bottom of the fourth for three runs, trimming Boston's lead to 9–3. YuliGurriel and Jason Castro each hit solo home runs in the bottom of the ninth,...
remainder of the series. The injury stemmed from a comebacker off the bat of YuliGurriel in the bottom of the second. It was unclear when Morton's leg was fractured;...
pitcher Zack Britton that allowed Altuve to score, and a sacrifice fly by YuliGurriel that scored Michael Brantley. Cole pitched seven shutout innings for...
appearances in seven seasons is the best span in franchise history. YuliGurriel became the second Astro to win the batting title, doing so at the age...
single by Carlos Correa after Joe Kelly hit Alex Bregman with a pitch and YuliGurriel reached on a fielding error by Eduardo Núñez. Verlander came back to...
2010–2011, he was replaced by Ruperto Zamora. He is the father of YuliGurriel and Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Both his sons became professional players in Major League...
has many notable contact hitters, such as Juan Soto, Michael Brantley, YuliGurriel, Jeff McNeil, David Fletcher, and Luis Arraez. Baseball-Reference.com...
Gourriel Jr. or Lourdes Gurriel Jr.(born 1993), Cuban baseball player, son of Lourdes Gourriel Yuli Gourriel or YuliGurriel (born 1984), Cuban baseball...
stole second base, before Carlos Correa drove him in with an RBI single. YuliGurriel drove in Correa to give the Astros a 2–0 lead. Keuchel recorded ten strikeouts...
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