Christopher Morel's Stats, Metrics, Game Logs, Projections & Rankings
Player profile
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HT/WT5' 11'' , 145 lbs
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Birthdate06/24/1999 (24)
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Draft InfoUndrafted
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StatusInactive
Chicago Cubs outfielder Christopher Morel went 1-for-4 with a three-run home run and a walk during Thursday's extra-innings loss to the New York Mets. The 24-year-old is now slashing .209/.287/.383 with five homers, 17 RBI and three stolen bases in 31 games. Morel has not had the breakout campaign some pundits were expecting as he has struggled to find consistency at the plate. There is still value in his bat due to his power potential and positional versatility, but he is becoming more of a liability in shallow formats.
Chicago Cubs outfielder Christopher Morel struggled at the plate after a hitless game with two strikeouts Wednesday. Morel is now 5-for-37 in his last 10 games with one double, one homer, seven RBI, and 11 strikeouts. Like his outfield partner, Ian Happ, he had a strong start to the season but has also hit a wall. He should be able to get back on track with favorable matchups in the upcoming series versus the Miami Marlins.
Chicago Cubs infielder Christopher Morel is focusing on playing third base as Spring Training gets underway, manager Craig Counsell told the media on Saturday. The Cubs' new skipper explained that he wants to maximize Morel's impact both in the field and at the plate, and he thinks he can do so by giving the 24-year-old a more consistent role on defense. To be precise, Counsell said, "Christopher's done so much with the bat, that it's our job to figure out the best way to deploy it." Indeed, Morel impressed through 107 games last year, slashing .247/.313/.508 with 26 homers, 71 RBI, and 119 wRC+. He was the Cubs' designated hitter for more than half the season, adding 28 appearances in the outfield and 26 in the infield, including five at third base. He finished 2023 with -12.9 dWAR.
Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer said that the team isn't trying to trade utility player Christopher Morel this offseason. And as far as where Morel will play in 2024, they view him as a game-changing hitter whom the Cubs want to keep in their lineup, whether he's playing one spot or moving around. Morel has appeared at each outfield spot, shortstop, second base and third base in his career, but he made 61 appearances in 107 games as the designated hitter in 2023 while hitting 26 home runs, which was tied with Cody Bellinger for the team lead. Morel didn't make his season debut until May 9 and was tied for 19th in MLB with a .508 slugging percentage. Not only can Morel hit and hit for power, but he could give fantasy managers some nice positional flexibility in 2024. Third base and first base, in addition to DH, might be the most realistic for Chicago.
Chicago Cubs manager Craig Counsell and general manager Carter Hawkins said on Saturday that outfielder Christopher Morel will likely be used in a super-utility role again in 2024 rather than focusing on just one position. Morel has been working some at first base this winter and he's played every position but first base and catcher in his two seasons in the majors to this point. The 24-year-old right-handed slugger was mostly used as a designated hitter in the second half of last season. He could bounce around from the outfield, third base, first base and DH in his third big-league campaign. Of all the options on the diamond, Morel should be in the lineup regularly. Morel has a lot of power (26 home runs, .821 OPS), but he strikes out a third of the time and can be very streaky for fantasy managers. If he can cut down on the K's, he could break out.