Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Bio
Lourdes Yunielki Gurriel Castillo Jr., known professionally as Lourdes Gurriel Jr., is a Cuban-American professional baseball left fielder for the Arizona Diamondbacks of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born on October 10, 1993, in Cuba, Gurriel debuted professionally in the Cuban National Series as a teenager before defecting from the island and signing with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016. After reaching the major leagues with Toronto in 2018, he developed into a versatile offensive contributor and was later traded to Arizona prior to the 2023 season. In his first year with the Diamondbacks, he was named an MLB All-Star and helped the club reach the 2023 World Series.
Early Life and Background
Lourdes Yunielki Gurriel Castillo Jr. was born on October 10, 1993, in Cuba, and grew up in a family with deep roots in Cuban baseball. His father, Lourdes Gurriel Sr., was a former player in the Cuban National Series, and his older brother, Yuli Gurriel, also became a prominent Cuban baseball player before defecting to Major League Baseball. The brothers were raised in a household where the sport was a daily part of life, and Lourdes Jr. followed his father’s footsteps into organized competition at a young age.
Gurriel made his debut in the Cuban National Series with Sancti Spíritus in 2010 at just 16 years old. Used primarily as a pinch hitter during that first season, he appeared in 16 games and batted .200 across 15 at-bats. He returned to Sancti Spíritus for the next two seasons, steadily expanding his role and improving his numbers each year, before joining the Industriales in 2013.
Path to Major League Baseball
Gurriel’s path to Major League Baseball began in February 2016, when he and his brother Yuli defected from Cuba after competing in the Caribbean Series in the Dominican Republic. Following his defection, Gurriel was declared a free agent by MLB in August 2016 and was ranked as the sixth-best international prospect available that year. In September, he held a public showcase of his skills at Rod Carew Stadium in Panama that was attended by approximately 60 MLB scouts.
On November 12, 2016, Gurriel signed a seven-year, $22 million contract with the Toronto Blue Jays, formally launching his professional career in the United States. He spent the 2017 season working his way through the Blue Jays’ minor league system, including stints with the Dunedin Blue Jays of the High-A Florida State League and the New Hampshire Fisher Cats of the Double-A Eastern League. In 64 games that year, he hit .229 with five home runs and 36 runs batted in, laying the groundwork for his major league call-up the following spring.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
Gurriel opened the 2018 season with New Hampshire and quickly forced his way to the majors. After batting .347 in 12 games, he was promoted to the Blue Jays on April 20, 2018, and recorded two singles and three runs batted in during his major league debut that night. On April 28, 2018, he hit his first career home run against Bartolo Colón of the Texas Rangers, and on July 27, he recorded his first multi-home run game in a victory over the Chicago White Sox.
A few days later, Gurriel became the first rookie in baseball’s modern era to record 10 consecutive multi-hit games, surpassing a 1911 mark set by Shoeless Joe Jackson. He extended the streak to 11 games on July 29, tying Jackson’s all-time American League record, but suffered an injury during that game that landed him on the disabled list and ultimately ended his 2018 season. After a difficult start to 2019, Toronto optioned him to the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons, where he transitioned from second base to the outfield. He finished 2019 hitting .277 with 20 home runs in 84 major league games and led all major league left fielders with nine assists.
Toronto Blue Jays Breakthrough (2020–2022)
With the 2020 Blue Jays, Gurriel batted .308 with 11 home runs and 33 runs batted in across 57 games and was named one of three finalists for a Gold Glove Award. In 2021, he set career highs on offense, hitting .276 with 21 home runs and 84 runs batted in over 141 games, while also setting a club record with four grand slams in a single season, including a game-tying slam against the Oakland Athletics on September 5, 2021. He again led all major league left fielders with 12 assists and was named a Gold Glove finalist for the second consecutive year.
Gurriel’s most memorable single-game performance as a Blue Jay came on July 22, 2022, when he recorded six hits and five runs batted in during a 28–5 win over the Boston Red Sox. That total tied the franchise single-game record for hits, matching Frank Catalanotto’s mark set in 2004. Over his five seasons in Toronto, he established himself as a versatile, contact-oriented hitter capable of contributing across the diamond.
Arizona Diamondbacks Era (2023–Present)
On December 23, 2022, the Toronto Blue Jays traded Gurriel and Gabriel Moreno to the Arizona Diamondbacks in exchange for Daulton Varsho. In his first season with Arizona in 2023, Gurriel was named an MLB All-Star for the first time, finished the year slashing .261/.309/.463 with 24 home runs and 82 runs batted in, and helped the Diamondbacks reach the 2023 World Series. On December 22, 2023, he re-signed with Arizona on a three-year, $42 million contract that runs through the 2026 season.
In 2024, Gurriel appeared in 133 games for the Diamondbacks and slashed .279/.322/.435 with 18 home runs and 75 runs batted in. During the 2025 season, he played in 129 contests and batted .248/.295/.418 with 19 home runs, 80 runs batted in, and 10 stolen bases. On September 2, 2025, the Diamondbacks announced that Gurriel would miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee.
Notable Events and Milestones
On September 21, 2018, Lourdes Gurriel Jr. and his brother Yuli Gurriel made baseball history by each hitting two home runs on the same day, becoming the first brothers to record multi-homer performances on the same day. Gurriel also became a United States citizen on May 8, 2023, while in his first season with Arizona. He was announced as part of FEPCUBE’s Patria y Vida team of expatriate Cuban ballplayers participating in the inaugural Intercontinental Series in Barranquilla, Colombia.
Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Personal Life
Gurriel’s older brother, Yuli Gurriel, also played in Cuba before defecting and later signed with the Houston Astros. Both brothers are sons of former Cuban National Series player Lourdes Gurriel Sr., forming one of Cuba’s most prominent baseball families. Gurriel’s family resides in Miami, Florida, and he became a United States citizen on May 8, 2023.
2025 Season Performance
The 2025 season represented a productive but ultimately cut-short campaign for Lourdes Gurriel Jr. with the Arizona Diamondbacks. He appeared in 129 games, batting .248/.295/.418 with 19 home runs, 80 runs batted in, and 10 stolen bases while serving as Arizona’s primary left fielder. His offensive production remained steady, and his 10 stolen bases added a new speed element to his game as he expanded his role in the lineup.
However, on September 2, 2025, the Diamondbacks announced that Gurriel would miss the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee. The injury ended his 2025 campaign and prompted an extended rehabilitation period that will carry into the 2026 season, which is the final year of his three-year, $42 million contract with Arizona.