The Gurriel brothers have been making quite an impact in the MLB. The 2017 & 2022 World Series champion Yuli Gurriel has a younger brother named Lourdes Gurriel Jr, who is following in his footsteps.
The elder brother, Yuli Gurriel, nicknamed “La Pina,” is a Cuban professional player who plays for the Miami Marlins in the MLB.
Yuli played for Sancti Spiritus in the Cuban National Series and Yokohama DeNA Baystars of Nippon Professional Baseball before joining MLB.
On July 16, 2016, Yuli inked a deal with the Houston Astros, which marked the beginning of his MLB career.
The first baseman twice became the World Series Champion with the Astros in 2017 & 2022.
In addition, he also won the 2021 Gold Glove Award and was the 2021 AL batting champion.
He then joined the Miami Marlins after signing a contract with them on March 10, 2023.
Yuli Gurriel Brother: Lourdes Gurriel Jr
The younger sibling, Lourdes Gurriel Jr, was born on October 10, 1993, in Sancti Spiritus, Cuba.
The age gap between Yuli and Lourdes is nine years and two months.
Lourdes is one of the Gurriels to break through in sports, particularly baseball, much like his brother & father did.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr currently plays for the Arizona Diamondbacks in Major League Baseball (MLB).
Before joining the Diamondbacks, he featured for Toronto Blue Jays for four years, from 2018 to 2022.
Regarding his personal life, he tied the knot with Jennifer Alvarez on December 14, 2018.
The couple has three kids named Mason, Jan Lucas, and Jordan.
Gurriel Brothers: A Dynamic Duo in MLB
Originating from the province of Sancti Spiritus in central Cuba, the Gurriels are the pioneer of Cuban baseball.
The father of the Gurriel brothers, Lourdes Sr., was a player and manager for Cuba’s national team.
During the days he played, he took his sons to practice to acquaint them with the game. This is how the brothers found their interest in the game.
Seeing their interest, he said to their sons-
Well, if you decide to play baseball, you have to love the sport from the beginning and play it like it’s the last day of your career.
The brothers have engrained these words into their hearts, and it is reflected in their game.
Currently, Yuli and Lourdes are playing in different teams in MLB. However, their support for each other is undying.
On September 21, 2018, the brothers made baseball history when they both hit two home runs on the same day.
It was the first time in history that the brothers had multi-homer performances on the same day.
Despite Yuli’s demanding baseball schedule, he has maintained a close eye on his brother’s rookie season performance, watching almost all of Lourdes Jr.’s at-bats following his games.
Lourdes Jr. started playing professional baseball in Cuba when he was 16.
Many of his teammates were double his age, which intimidated him but his older brother, Yuli, accompanied him.
Even though Lourdes is younger, he has the maturity to advise and assist Yuli. Lourdes supports him and celebrates his wins together despite being on a different team.
