01/10/2023 2 Minute Read

Roy Morales is the first Baseball Champions League Americas MVP

The Fargo catcher led the tournament in batting average and finished tied in second place in runs batted in (RBIs). "You always try to play for the team. No matter the situation, the game will dictate what you have to do."

Fargo Moorhead RedHawks catcher Roy Morales earned MVP honours at the end of the inaugural Baseball Champions League Americas.

Born in 1995 in Lares, Puerto Rico, Morales signed his first professional contract in 2014 for the Miami Marlins. He appeared in 347 Minor League Baseball (MiLB) games, including 47 at Triple-A.

"I always try to play for the team, no matter the situation," Morales said. "The game is going to dictate to you what you have to do. If you have a guy on third, you must get him home."

Morales played a major part in Fargo's success. He led the tournament in batting average (9-for-15, .600 batting average) and tied Yucatan's Tadir Drake and his teammate Dillon Thomas with 4 RBIs behind Barranquilla's Pabel Manzanero.

"Our lineup did a team effort," Morales added. "In the final against Barranquilla, everybody was having good at-bats, and when you do that, you get the line-up moving. Late in the game, pitchers get tired in this humid weather. If you keep having good at-bats, you force them to use a lot of pitches. If they come in the middle of the plate, you score."

Morales admitted that the RedHawks played at a different level after the first two games. "We came here to play aggressively. In the first two games, we were not that aggressive. In the last two games, we played as a team. The chemistry was better, everybody played hard, and we put a show out there for the fans and everybody."

On the chance of possibly playing at a higher level, Morales said participating in international baseball definitely offers players the chance to be seen. "You probably saw that we are not that bad, even if we are an indie league. This team can play high-level defensive baseball. You don't think about who eventually will see you play, but we know that scouts came to Merida. The Mexican Baseball League has great competition. I would love an opportunity to play here."

Tyler Grauer, the final's winner, led the Baseball Champions League Americas in strike outs with seven. "I had a chance to pitch to [catcher] Roy Morales for the first time ever. It was fun getting to know him as a guy. He has a great knowledge of the game. He helped me out tremendously."

Grauer took some time to praise the success of the event. "I think it's a great idea. The hospitality was terrific. Other leagues worldwide are better than these four, but this tournament reminds everybody that there's a lot of baseball talent worldwide.