Jacob
Gonzalez

Entering the Cambria Classic with a .441 batting average and two home runs, Gonzalez continued the hot start to his 2023 season with a 4-for-12, 2 2B, 3 BB stat line. Defensively, there's little question he has the actions, range and arm strength to stick at shortstop over the long term. He’s also one of the most instinctive players in this year’s college draft class with an excellent first step and angles to the ball. A near average runner, the left handed hitter ran a 4.37 and 4.25 down the line. His impact, however, is in the box, where the Rebel infielder produces good leverage and enough bat speed to make up for some length in his cuts. With gifted hands and simply an innate feel to hit, Gonzalez excels at controlling the barrel and taking bat to ball despite a backside out and reaching swing at times. It’s unorthodox and nowhere near the pure stroke you’d like to see from a top prospect, but it works. He has produced with the stick everywhere he’s played, including the USA CNT last summer. Barring a major downturn in his tools or performance, Gonzalez is a slam dunk to be selected in the top ten overall picks this July.

USA CNT: Fresh off a College World Series run that landed Ole Miss its first ever National Championship, Gonzalez followed his very strong spring with a good showing for the Collegiate National Team, slashing .313/.333/.438 through team trials and .250/.333/.417 over 26 plate appearances at the Honkbalweek Haarlem tournament while accounting for almost a quarter of the club's extra base hits. Gonzalez looked a little worn at times — particularly on the dirt — getting lax with his throws and footwork, but there's little question he has the actions and the arm strength to stick at the six-spot long term, where he should grow into a steady and dependable defender. His impact, however, is in the box, where the Rebel infielder produces good leverage and enough bat speed to make up for some length in his cuts. Gonzalez excels at finding the ball with the bat and is confident working deep into counts, helping him to draw walks and limit empty swings. Already able to inflict damage when he barrels the ball, Gonzalez just needs to show continued growth in the frequency of his quality contact to take the next step as a truly elite producer. He enters the fall as a high follow penciled into the first round and could slot into the top ten selections next summer with a strong junior year.

The sophomore has all the tools and moves athletically and smoothly around the diamond. However, his greatest baseball talent isn't a tool. His 80-grade instincts separate him from most others. Whether it's running the bases, making a play on defense or finding the barrel in the batter's box, Gonzalez is typically in the right spot with his feet, glove and bat. Once a smooth swinging prep, his setup and stroke is now more unorthodox. With a widely spread stance in the back of the box and most of his weight on his backside, Gonzalez' hands are buried tight to the top of his back shoulder during his pre-pitch setup. He most often swings in/out of the strike zone quickly with a choppy path, but he does flatten out well on the pitch belt high and above. Overall, it's a swing that needs perfect timing to execute and one that is more geared for power than average; it has produced 14 home runs and a .667 SLG this season. He has also walked almost twice as much as he has struck out (40 BB vs 21 SO) – a rarity at any level of baseball, especially for someone who produces as much in-game power. With that stated, he has some of the best hitting hands you will find in baseball. They are strong and quick, producing EVs well into the triple digits, including a series best 104.6 on a first inning single Saturday. Regardless of what his swing looks like, it works for him and the tools, production and intangibles all scream first round in 2023.

A sprained ankle slowed his game this summer so my limited look wasn’t the best, but it was another look at one of the top prospects for 2023. When healthy, Gonzalez moves smoothly all around the diamond. He also has an especially smooth stroke in the batter’s box. It’s a compact, easy lefthanded swing with excellent barrel control. Although he struggled this summer (4-for-22 with seven strikeouts), the true freshman slashed .355/.443/.561 with 12 home runs and more walks (38) than strikeouts (34) for the Rebels this spring. The D1 Baseball Freshman of the Year, Gonzalez has all the tools to develop into a first round pick in 2023.

A California prep, Gonzalez is a smooth defender with an even smoother swing. The lefty hitter ripped a line drive home run deep to right field during the Rebels’ W against Texas Tech and batted .364 (4-for-11) from the three-hole during the Showdown. Gonzalez has all the tools to develop into a top round pick for 2023 and will likely compete for National Freshman of the Year honors this season.

Ole Miss commit. The two-sport standout (QB on football team) put together one of, if not the, best rounds of batting practice that saw him launch several balls out of the yard and pepper the outfield fence a few times. He showed the ability to go the other way during both BP and in-game. It’s a smooth, relaxed, effortless swing with excellent barrel control through the zone. Defensively his present tools all grade at average to above. His footwork and glovework were impressive, but it’s his range and arm strength that set him apart from the others. At 6-foot-2, 180-pounds, there’s plenty of physical projection remaining as he’ll undoubtedly continue to add strength/mass.