Christopher Rafael Morel (born June 24, 1999) is a Dominican professional baseball infielder for the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022.
Morel signed with the Chicago Cubs as an international free agent in 2015. The Cubs added him to their 40-man roster after the 2020 season.
The Cubs signed Morel for $800,000 out of the Dominican Republic in 2015, three years before signing his brother Rafael, an infielder, for $850,000. Christopher cut his right arm in a household accident after turning pro, delaying his debut until 2017, but he has moved quickly and reached Triple-A last year at age 22. He’s the most versatile Cubs farmhand and one of the most athletic, though he batted just .223/.303/.427 between Double-A and Triple-A in 2021.
Morel produces impressive bat speed and exit velocities from the right side of the plate and can drive the ball out of any part of the park. Yet instead of letting his plus raw power manifest itself naturally, he overswings and struggles to get to fastballs up in the zone. He did increase his walk rate from 4 percent in 2019 to 10 percent, an encouraging sign, but he still needs to focus on just driving the ball from gap to gap rather than shooting for the fences.
Morel notched 18 steals in 21 attempts last year, a testament to his plus speed and aggressive nature on the bases. His quickness and well-above-average arm strength allow him to play almost anywhere on the diamond — and he has, making double-digit starts at center field, third base, right field, shortstop, and second base last year. He covers solid ground at all three outfield spots and is a rangy if erratic infield defender.
There are no details about whether he has children or not. He may be may or may not have children. There are also no rumors about his children.