Christopher Morel #28

Began his professional career in 2017 with the Dominican Summer League Cubs after signing with the organization on Aug. 23, 2015 as a free agent from the Dominican Republic... completed his first Major League season in 2022 after he made his MLB debut on May 17... Entered the 2022 season ranked as the Cubs' No. 21 prospect by MLB.com... was added to the 40-man roster Nov. 20, 2019... Has batted .242 (289-for-1,195) with 52 doubles, 15 triples, 41 home runs, 177 RBI, 54 stolen bases and a .726 OPS in 327 career Minor League games over five seasons.... reached the Triple-A level for the first time in 2021 in his third domestic season

2023

Began the season with Triple-A Iowa

2022

Christopher in 2022 finished among the MLB rookie leaders (min. 350 AB) in home runs (sixth, 16), slugging percentage (sixth, .433), stolen bases (seventh, 10), RBI (ninth, 47), OPS (ninth, .751) and on-base percentage (11th, .308)....After his debut on May 17, ranked among Cubs team leaders in runs (T-1st, 55), home runs (3third, 16), hits (third, 89) and RBI (third, 47), slugging percentage (third, .433) and doubles (third, 19)....Recorded 39 extra-base hits, the second-most by an N.L. rookie, trailing Michael Harris II (49)....Appeared in 113 games for the Cubs, seeing time at center field (57 games), second base (33 games), third base (18 games), shortstop (13 games), designated hitter (three games) and left field (one game)... Became the first Cub since 1904 to start at four different defensive positions (2B, 3B, SS, CF) in his first five career starts....Began the season with Double-A Tennessee, batting .306 (33-for-108) with five doubles, one triple, seven home runs, 20 RBI and a .945 OPS in 28 games....From May 17-June 11, had a franchise-record, 22-game, career-opening on-base streak ... the 22-game run to begin his career was the fourth-longest in N.L. history and the eighth-longest in MLB history...During the streak, batted .303 (27-for-89) with seven doubles, two triples, three home runs, 10 RBI and 12 walks, contributing to a .388 OBP and a .916 OPS....Had his contract selected and made his Major League debut May 17 vs. Pittsburgh ... became the first Cub to homer in their first career Major League plate appearance since Willson Contreras, June 19, 2016 vs. Pittsburgh... Contreras was also the last Cub to hit a pinch-homer in his first career major league plate appearance....Tallied a Cubs season-high, 11-game hitting streak from May 20-31, batting .283 (13-for-46) with three doubles, one triple, one home run, four RBI and an .834 OPS during the run....Notched his first career walk-off RBI, a sacrifice fly in the 10th inning June 1 vs. Milwaukee....Went 5-for-9 in the doubleheader June 4 vs. St. Louis...Elias and Stats Inc. note that he became the second Cubs rookie in the last 40 years to record five-plus hits in a doubleheader (also Kris Bryant, Sept. 11, 2015, at Philadelphia)....Hit two game-opening home runs (June 7 at Baltimore, June 16 vs. San Diego), one shy of the Cubs rookie franchise record (Lou Brock, 3 in 1962)....June 30, notched a career-high, five-hit game, the youngest Cub (23 years, 6 days) with a five-hit game since Ken Hubbs, May 20, 1962 at PHI at 18 years, 148 days old....Homered in three-straight games from June 29-July 1, the first Cubs rookie to accomplish the feat since Frank Schwindel (Sept. 3-5, 2021)... Prior to Schwindel the last Cubs rookie to homer in three-straight games was Mike Olt (May 7-9, 2014) ... source: Elias)....Hit his 15th home run of the season Sept. 27 vs. Philadelphia, becoming the fifth rookie in Cubs history with a 15-plus home run, 10-plus stolen base season during their first major league campaign (last Kris Bryant - 2015)....Hit safely in seven of his last 10 games, from Sept. 22-Oct. 5, recording five extra-base hits (three doubles, two home runs), eight RBI and an .836 OPS.

2021

In 2021, reached the Triple-A level for the first time, splitting 110 games between Double-A Tennessee and Triple-A Iowa... Set career marks in games (110), hits (90), runs (65), doubles (18), home runs (18), RBI (66) and walks (55)... His 66 RBI were second-most among all Cubs minor leaguers, while his 18 homers were fourth-most... Appeared in center field (34 games), third base (23 games), right field (21 games), shortstop (14 games), second base (13 games), left field (6 games) and designated hitter (2 games)... Hit .278 (22-for-79) with seven home runs, 19 RBI and a .994 OPS vs. left-handed pitching... July 4 was named the Double-A South Offensive Player of the Week after going 8-for-18 (.444) with four home runs and nine RBI during the week... Was promoted to Iowa on Sept. 22 and played in nine games for the I-Cubs.

2020

Spent the season at the South Bend Alternate Site.