“Monina,” aka Kendrys Morales, is a former professional baseball athlete of the Major League Baseball (MLB).
His transition from the minor to the major league is truly an inspiration for many.
During his career as a designated hitter and first baseman, Morales became one of the three MLB history players to hit a home run during the same inning with both left and right hands.
Notably, Morales was also the seventh player in MLB to accomplish a seven-game home run hit streak.
He played for several MLB baseball teams and secured his name as one of the best talents of the league.
Furthermore, let’s jump into the details of an exceptional hardworking former athlete.
Here, we will present you with all the details about his early life, successful league career, kids, wife, and retirement.
Before we move forward, let’s look into some quick facts first.
Quick Facts:
| Full Name | Kendrys Morales Rodríguez |
| Birth Date | June 20, 1983 |
| Birth Place | Fomento, Cuba |
| Age | 40 Years Old |
| Nick Name | Monina |
| Religion | N/A |
| Nationality | Cuban-Dominican |
| Education | N/A |
| Horoscope | Gemini |
| Father’s Name | Rafael Morales |
| Mother’s Name | Noelia Rodriguez |
| Siblings | N/A |
| Height | 1.85 m |
| Weight | 110kg |
| Build | Athletic |
| Shoe Size | N/A |
| Hair Color | Black |
| Eye Color | Dark Brown |
| Position | Designated hitter, First baseman |
| Active Years | 2006 – 2019 |
| League | MLB |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse(s) | Yarley Morales |
| Children | Hanely Morales, Kendrys Jr Morales, Andrea Morales |
| Profession | Former Professional Baseball Player |
| Threw | Right |
| Former Teams | Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Seattle Mariners Minnesota Twins Seattle Mariners Kansas City Royals Toronto Blue Jays Oakland Athletics New York Yankees |
| Jersey number | #8 Toronto Blue Jays #25 Kansas City Royals #12 Oakland Athletics #36 New York Yankees #8 Seattle Mariners #17 Minnesota Twins #21 Seattle Mariners |
| Net Worth | $70 million |
| Career Honors & Awards | Rookie Player of the Month- 2002 Player of the month- 2009 World Series champion- 2015 Silver Slugger Award- 2015 Edgar Martínez Award- 2015 American League’s Player of the Week- 2018 |
| Social Media | Instagram, Twitter |
| Merch | Autographed Items, Bobblehead, Jersey, Rookie Card |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
When was Kendrys Morales born? Early Life, Family, & Education
Kendrys Morales “Monina” was born on June 20, 1983, in Fomento, Cuba, to his proud parents Rafael Morales and Noelia Rodriguez.
Sadly, Morales has not shared much information about his parents or anything regarding his private matter. Also, the details regarding his siblings are unknown.
According to the zodiac charts, Morales is a Gemini. Geminis are known for their adaptive, outgoing, and intelligent traits.
Age, Height, and Body Measurements
Furthermore, the former baseball designated hitter and first baseman Kendrys turned40 years as of now.
Morales stands at the height of 1.85 m and weighs around 110kgs. He has an athletic build with black hair and dark brown eyes.
Education
Morales’s details other than his baseball career are still a mystery to the world. Likewise, the details regarding his educational background are not available anywhere.
He was born and raised in The Republic of Cuba, so we can assume that he graduated from Cuban academic institutions.
Kendrys Morales | Baseball Career and Profession
Early Cuban Career
Before making it up to the professional career, Morales played in the 16-17-year-old category of the North American Triple-A League.
He was one of the team’s skilled players with the ability to hit a home run from both sides.
Morales paved his way towards the Cuban National Baseball Team in 2002, where he immediately became a star player.
He was one of the first teens to make it into the national team in 20 years.
During Morales’s first-ever two-and-a-half-full season playing for the Cuban National Series with Havana’s Industriales, his stats were like so- 21 home runs, 82 RBI, and .324 batting average.
Also, in the regular season, he set seven rookie records while pitching and, as a result, won the Rookie of the Year title.
Attempts on Moving to the United States
Kendrys’s popularity in Cuba was very short-lived as Cuba’s national team, and Industriales banned him for disciplinary reasons.
He was accused of reaching out to various agents to flee the country. However, Kendrys disproves the accusation. Besides, in an interview with a reporter, he states that –
“It is not true. I never communicated with any agent. But from that time on, I just wanted to leave. I tried to do it various times without success, and occasionally ending up in jail.”
In June 2004, Morales tried to escape in a raft towards Florida. It was his eighth try to escape from the country.
Moreover, he attempted to leave the nation again towards the Dominican Republic, where several Major League teams privately scouted him.
Preston Gomez signed Morales to a $3 million six-year deal during December 2004. He played for the Estrellas Orientales, a Dominican team, to keep him in shape.
Kendrys Morales | Professional career
Minor league career
The Los Angeles Angels expected to have Morales practice in the Cactus League to get set for a quick rise through their farm system or possibly even make the team the assigned hitter by the spring of 2005.
Morales finally made his minor league debut on May 21. As he was not a citizen yet, the Dominican government kept from granting Morales the necessary passport to travel back to the U.S. for various months.
Following three weeks, he moved up to Double-A Arkansas and was second on the team in home runs even after playing there for only half the season.
The Los Angeles Angels chose Morales to play at the Arizona Fall League with the Surprise Scorpions during the season’s end.
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
During 2006, Morales had intense spring training. However, he failed to make the 25-man roster.
Kendrys eventually made his Major League debut on May 23, 2006, while playing against the Texas Rangers, where he was the first base and hit a home run in his second at-bat.
2009 season
Morales’s first season was an extreme breakout year for him. He hit 34 home runs during the season while slugging at .569, which was second in the league.
The Angels soon promoted him to the starting first baseman after Mark Teixeira left the team.
Morales played well in the first half of the season and eventually played exceptionally well in the second half of the 2009 season.
Hence, winning the title of Player of the Month for August. His performance led him to become a possible American League MVP.
Further, he came 5th in MVP voting and was behind Joe Mauer, Miguel Cabrera, Mark Teixeira, and Derek Jeter.
2010 season and Leg Injury (Walk-off Grand Slam)
At the Angel Stadium of Anaheim, Morales hit a walk-off grand slam while playing against the Seattle Mariners on May 29, 2010.
While approaching his celebrating teammates, Kendrys jumped up, intending to stomp on the home plate, but he stepped on it.
Due to his landing, he got a fracture in his lower left leg and was immediately kept on the disabled list.
His injury led up to surgery, and as a result, he missed the remainder of the 2010 season.
It’s already been more than a decade now. It was one of the craziest injuries in MLB that happened in Angel Stadium.
And talking about that specific time, Morales was one of the best hitters on the team through the first 1⁄3 of the season, a major loss to the Angels, and the only player to play in all 51 games from the team.
2011 season
Morales didn’t play for the 2011 season due to the ankle complications caused during his rehabilitation from the surgery.
2012 season
Approximately two years after his broken ankle treatment, Kendrys returned back to the field in a spring training game on March 22, 2012.
Kendrys hit two home runs in the same inning, once with his left hand and the other with his right hand, on July 30, 2012.
He became one of the three MLB history players to hit a home run with both left and right during the same inning.
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Seattle Mariners
On December 19, 2012, Morales was traded by the Angels to the Seattle Mariners for Jason Vargas.
He hit his first-pitch three-run home run in the 10th inning while playing against the Oakland Athletics on June 23, 2013.
On August 26, 2013, he was claimed off the Seattle Mariners by an unknown team.
Besides, he was not traded by the team within the 48 hours of the claim. Hence, the Mariners pulled him back from the waiver claim.
Kendrys hit a walk-off two-run home run, and the Seattle Mariners won the game against Kansas City Royals in the ninth inning on September 4.
Minnesota Twins
The Seattle Mariners made Morales an offer after the 2013 season, which he declined and remained unsigned during Opening Day.
Moreover, on June 8, 2014, Morales agreed to terms with the Minnesota Twins on a one-year contract and an allocated portion of $12 million, worth around $7.4 million.
Return to Seattle Mariners
On July 24, 2014, Kendrys was traded back to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for Stephen Pryor.
Kansas City Royals
Kendrys signed a two-year contract worth $17 million with the Kansas City Royals in December 2014.
Morales won the 2015 Edgar Martínez Award, awarded annually to the American League’s most outstanding designated hitter.
Following off his outstanding 2015 season, Kendrys struggled at the start of the 2016 season. He had an average of .193 before June.
Soon after taking a 4-games-break, he finished the season with an average of .262, eventually becoming the Royals’ home run leader.
On November 4, Morales declined an offer with the Royals and became a free agent.
Toronto Blue Jays
Morales moved on to playing for the Toronto Blue Jays on November 11, 2016, with a three-year contract worth $33 million.
Kendrys became the first player in Blue Jays franchise history to have four hits, three home runs, and seven RBIs in the same game while playing against the Baltimore Orioles on August 31, 2017.
Kendrys made his major league debut as a pitcher on May 20, 2018. On July 8, 2018, Morales hit his 200th career home run.
Starting from August 19, Morales hit a home run and continued a seven-game home run hit streak until August 26.
This record was the longest streak in Blue Jays franchise history. Morales became the seventh player in MLB history to accomplish the record.
His exceptional accomplishments during the week of August 20 to 26th earned him the American League’s Player of the Week award.
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Oakland Athletics
On March 27, 2019, the Blue Jays traded Morales to the Oakland Athletics in exchange for Jesus Lopez.
New York Yankees
On May 14, 2019, the Oakland Athletics traded Morales to the New York Yankees. The Yankees designated Kendrys for an assignment on June 25, 2019, and released him on July 2.
Kendrys Morales | Net Worth
Morales is one of the exceptional players in MLB history. Reportedly, he is on the list of the highest-paid players of the MLB.
Accumulating everything that Morales has earned during his baseball career, we can assume that-
“Kendrys Morales net worth falls around $70 million.”
Looking back at his contract details, his salary while playing for the Los Angeles Angels was around $3 million.
Similarly, Morales had an average salary of $5 million while playing for the Seattle Mariners. He agreed on a one-year contract worth around $7.4 million with the Minnesota Twins.
Additionally, while playing for the Kansas City Royals, Morales signed a two-year contract worth $17 million and a three-year deal worth $33 million with the Toronto Blue Jays.
You can find contact details, payroll salaries, salary breakdowns, career earnings, bonuses, market value, stats, and transactions of Kendrys Morales on the Spotrac website.
Kendrys Morales | Retirement
Morales’s remarkable baseball history ended when he announced his retirement on February 7, 2020. He played in 13 MLB seasons since his first major league with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2006.
Kendrys Morales | Wife and Children
Morales is married to his long-term girlfriend, Yarley Morales. However, the details regarding the couple’s wedding are unknown.
Moreover, Yarley and Morales have two beautiful children together, Kendrys Jr. Morales and Andrea Morales.
In addition, Morales also has a daughter named Hanely Morales from his past relationship. Besides, the information regarding his past relationship is unknown to date.
Social Media Presence:
Kendrys Morales is not active on social media. However, his fans keep tweeting and posting about him on different social media handles.
We have provided you with his hashtags on various social media platforms.
Instagram: #kendrysmorales
Twitter: #kendrysmorales
Some FAQs:
Who broke his leg jumping on home plate?
Kendry Morales broke his leg while jumping on the home plate while celebrating after hitting a walk-off grand slam. As a reason, Morales missed the rest of 2010 and the 2011 season as well.
Where does Kendry Morales live?
Kendry Morales currently resides in Miami, Florida, with his wife and children.
Is Kendry Morales Cuban?
Yes, Kendry Morales is Cuban-Dominican by Nationality.
Which team is Kendry Morales on?
Kendry Morales is not active on any team now as he retired on February 7, 2020.
What position does Kendry Morales play?
Kendry Morales played in hitter and first baseman position in his professional baseball career.
