Washington Nationals designated hitter Yohandy Morales celebrated a major milestone on Tuesday, launching the first home run of his MLB career with his family watching and cheering from the stands.

The 24-year-old Morales connected with a pitch from AJ Smith-Shawver in the bottom of the third inning, sending an 0-1 offering over the fence to tie the game at 2-2.

The home run came just hours after Washington promoted Morales ahead of its matchup with the Atlanta Braves. He had spent the season in Triple-A, appearing in 104 games and putting together an impressive .286/.363/.519 slash line, along with 25 home runs and 76 RBIs.

A native of Miami, Morales was selected by the Nationals in the second round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He quickly progressed through the organization, moving from rookie ball to Double-A during his first professional season.

Interestingly, Morales did not hit a home run in his first 42 minor-league games in 2023. However, he still produced an impressive .349/.423/.494 slash line while driving in 32 runs.

His power began to emerge the following season. In 2024, Morales hit seven home runs and recorded 41 RBIs across 75 minor-league games, including 69 appearances at Double-A.

After reaching Triple-A last season, Morales continued to develop as a power hitter, finishing with 15 home runs and 71 RBIs while batting .265. He then took another significant step forward this year, setting career bests in both home runs and RBIs before earning his call-up to the majors.

For Morales, though, Tuesday’s home run was about more than just numbers. With his family celebrating the moment, his first MLB home run became an especially memorable milestone in the young slugger’s career.

The Nationals, meanwhile, entered Tuesday’s game with a 66-74 record and eight games behind in the National League Wild Card race. Despite producing one of baseball’s better offenses for much of the season, Washington has struggled badly on the pitching side, particularly in the bullpen.

With the MLB regular season entering its final stretch, the race for the Postseason is heating up — and Morales’ first career home run provided Washington fans with another exciting moment to celebrate.