The 2022 second-round pick, who frequented Nationals Park as a fan growing up, stepped into the park for the first time as an MLB player Tuesday.
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Nick Morabito passed by Nationals Park hundreds of times as he drove from his home in McLean, Virginia, to Gonzaga College High School. He has been inside the park a “good amount” to watch former Washington Nationals standouts such as Juan Soto, Bryce Harper and Ian Desmond.
Now, it’s his turn. Morabito, 23, made his MLB debut Tuesday night for the New York Mets, batting seventh and playing left field, even sharing a clubhouse with Soto, in the Mets’ 9-6 loss to the Nationals.
“It’s definitely pretty cool,” Morabito said before the game. “I used to look up to these guys and watch them play, and now I’m here.”
He went 0 for 3 in his debut and saw plenty of action in left field, which included a leaping attempt to snare James Woods’s second-inning drive that ricocheted off the top of the well and into center field, resulting in an inside-the-park grand slam.
At Gonzaga, Morabito’s accomplishments included helping the Eagles win the 2022 Washington Catholic Athletic Conference title. He was drafted a few months later, the Mets picking him 75th overall.
Once he was with the Mets organization, his stock rose quickly. He was the franchise’s minor league player of the year in 2024 after slashing .312/.403/.398 across low and high Class A. He spent all of last season at Class AA Binghamton and opened 2026 at Class AAA Syracuse.
He spent the offseason working on elevating the ball, and it has shown in his early numbers. Morabito had four home runs in 41 games at Syracuse after hitting six in 118 games last season. His OPS is also up — it was .754 at the time of his call-up, compared with .733 in 2025.
It’s his defense and speed that can really change a game, though. Morabito stole 14 bases at Class AAA this season.
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Morabito received the news on Monday at 11:30 p.m. that he was being called up for his MLB debut and immediately called his parents, hoping not to panic them.
“You get a call that late at night, it’s an emergency or maybe they were hoping I got called up or something,” he said.
After telling his parents, he called his siblings and friends, all of whom were in the stands Tuesday, he said, plus some current and former Gonzaga players.
With the Mets, Morabito is joining a team that has already seen a flurry of prospect promotions this season. Carson Benge, who will play right field Tuesday, made his debut on Opening Day. A.J. Ewing, the Mets’ No. 1 prospect, was called up last week.
Morabito said he is close with both Benge and Ewing and that he talked with them often after they left AAA.
“It’s definitely more comfortable to come here with guys that I already know and guys that I’ve played with,” Morabito said.
On Tuesday, as he made the journey into Washington, he wasn’t driving past the stadium or going down the street to Gonzaga. He was heading into the stadium for his MLB debut, just as he dreamed as a kid.
“I kind of thought back, and I was like, ‘Wow, I thought of this,’” he said. “Now it’s a reality. I’m excited.”
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