Who is Yuli Gurriel's wife? Meet Lianet Barrera

Yuli Gurriel is one of the most experienced first basemen in the league. However, not much is known about the Houston Astros star's personal life.

Gurriel is the son of Cuban baseball legend Lourdes Gurriel. The elder Gurriel played in the Cuban leagues for several decades, but never got to see MLB action due to the US embargo placed on Cuba.

Gurriel is married to Lianet Barrera, a fellow Cuban defector who settled in the Miami area where they currently live. Lianet is a very private person and does not appear to be active on social media.

The pair have three sons -- Yeremy, Jayden and Harem.

Although Lianet keeps a low profile, she has been active in various philanthropic causes through the Astros. She and her husband reportedly made donations to the Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory School in Houston to support pupils with new, cutting-edge educational supplies.

"Yuli Gurriel and his wife, Lianet, donated to Kids’ Meals and Cristo Rey Jesuit College Preparatory of Houston on Friday. Cristo Rey will buy 100 Chromebooks with Gurriel’s donation and Kids’ Meals will buy more than 22,400 meals." - @ Chandler Rome

Lianet may have had a career in the past, but these days she mainly stays home and assumes the full-time role of baseball wife and mother to her MLB husband, Yuli Gurriel.

Yuli Gurriel's future at first base appears uncertain

Gurriel and his younger brother Lourdes Jr. defected from Cuba in early 2016 after playing in an international tournament in the Dominican Republic. The pair was declared eligible by the MLB, and Lourdes Jr. signed with the Toronto Blue Jays later that season.

Gurriel played one season in Japan for the Yokohama DeNA Baystars before returning to Cuba a year before his defection. In July 2016, he signed with the Astros for $47.5 million over five seasons.

Gurriel has adapted extraordinarily well to the North American style of baseball. He has been the regular Astros first baseman since 2016. In 2021, he led the MLB in batting average after registering a season average of .319.

On November 28, however, the Astros signed first baseman Jose Abreu from the Chicago White Sox. Because first base has been Yuli's role over the past seven seasons, it remains to be seen who will assume the position as a starter next season.

Regardless, we can be sure that Astros manager Dusty Baker will not hesitate to get Gurriel's bat into the lineup when it counts.