Former Batting Champ Makes San Diego Padres' Opening Day Roster Out of MiLB Deal

Yuli Gurriel, who won a World Series with the Houston Astros in 2017 and 2022, has made the Padres out of camp.

San Diego Padres infielder Yuli Gurriel against the Colorado Rockies during a spring training game at Peoria Sports Complex on March 5. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Former Houston Astros star Yuli Gurriel has reportedly made the San Diego Padres' Opening Day roster. He had been in camp on a minor league deal.

Cuban Baseball Insider Francys Romero had the information on social media.

The Padres have informed Yuli Gurriel that he made the Opening Day roster, per sources.

No decision has been made yet on José Iglesias.

— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) March 23, 2025

Gurriel, 40, has hit .303 this spring with one homer, six RBIs and a .343 on-base percentage.

He is a nine-year veteran of the Astros, Miami Marlins and Kansas City Royals. He came over from Cuba in 2016 at the age of 32 and established himself as a presence in the Astros lineup, helping them win the World Series in both 2017 and 2022. He won the American League batting title in 2021 at the age of 37, hitting .319. Lifetime, he's a .280 hitter with 98 major league homers and 468 RBI.

He hit a career-high 31 homers for the Astros back in 2019 and also had 104 RBIs that season. He signed on with the Marlins for 2023, helping Miami get to the playoffs, but his power cratered. He hit only four homers in 108 games that season.

He started the 2024 season in Triple-A for the Braves but was traded to the Kansas City Royals for their playoff run. He played 18 regular season games for the Royals, hitting .241. He struggled through the playoffs, going 4-for-21 as the Royals were bounced in the American League Division Series by the New York Yankees.

The Padres open up the regular season on Thursday, March 27 against the Braves. They'll finish Cactus League play on Monday.

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