Wikelman Gonzalez Stats & Scouting Report — College Baseball, MLB Draft, Prospects

IP	5.2
ERA	11.12
WHIP	2.65
BB/9	14.29
SO/9	9.53

Full name Wikelman David Gonzalez
Born 03/25/2002 in Maracay, Venezuela
Profile Ht.: 6'0" / Wt.: 167 / Bats: R / Throws: R

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

BA Grade: 50/High

Track Record: The Red Sox signed Gonzalez for $250,000 in 2018 on the basis of his ability to shape three big league pitches anchored by a projectable low-90s fastball. His velocity took a jump during the 2020 shutdown, and he overwhelmed hitters in the Florida Complex League in 2021. After an up-and-down 2022, Gonzalez had an alarming start to 2023 at High-A Greenville, posting a 30% walk rate through four starts. In a heart-to-heart with coaches, he acknowledged that concern about his career had left him unable to eat and sleep properly. The Red Sox had him refocus his goals from game performance to his between-starts routines. From there, Gonzalez took off, with a 2.98 ERA and 13% walk rate in his final 21 starts at High-A and Double-A Portland. On the year, his 35.2% strikeout rate led all minor leaguers with at least 100 innings.

Scouting Report: Gonzalez possesses tremendous mobility in his hips to get far downhill on the mound and jump on hitters. He also features a low release point, yet works at the top of the zone. That creates the sort of upshoot angle of pitchers like Cristian Javier or Joe Ryan on a bat-missing, mid-90s four-seam fastball. He complements that with a potential plus curveball that has bat-missing spin, a changeup that is at least average and a cutter he added in 2023 for an in-zone weapon against lefties. Gonzalez can miss bats or limit hard contact in the zone, but it remains uncertain if he can work in the zone enough to start. Even with considerable progress in 2023, he still has well below-average control.

The Future: If diligent offseason and between-starts work allows Gonzalez to improve his control to at least average, he could develop into a No. 4 starter. If not, he’s a bat-missing reliever. Gonzalez likely will open 2024 back in Double-A, with a chance to reach Boston as a member of the 40-man roster.

Scouting Grades Fastball: 60 | Curveball: 60 | Changeup: 50 | Cutter: 45 | Control: 40
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: As a slender amateur in Venezuela, Gonzalez impressed by shaping three pitches while exuding physical projection. After the Covid shutdown year of 2020, Gonzalez emerged with a mid-90s fastball that overpowered hitters in 2021. But a lack of strength and suboptimal conditioning left Gonzalez with wildly inconsistent mechanics through much of 2022 in Low-A Salem, resulting in a 5.28 ERA and 14.8% walk rate through 17 starts. He responded well to a mid-year challenge to take ownership of his career. Added strength helped him harness his delivery to finish with a 2.43 ERA, 30.4% strikeout rate, and 8.6% walk rate in his last eight starts, split between Salem and High-A Greenville.

Scouting Report: One evaluator described Gonzalez as a 'freaky mover,' a hyper-mobile pitcher who generates incredible length in his delivery. His ability to stay on his back leg yields a low, down-the-mound release point that allows his fastball, which sits 94-96 mph and tops out at 99, to jump on hitters and get above bats, a potentially elite fastball. His curve and changeup show average or better potential, and he developed a cutter/slider at the end of 2022 that will be part of his mix in 2023.

The Future: Gonzalez has mid-rotation upside if he can throw enough strikes to get there, with plenty of fastball to be a late-innings arm if his starter development stalls. Gonzalez will start 2023 in High-A Greenville.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.
Track Record: When the Sox scouted Gonzalez in Venezuela, they saw a slender pitcher with a mid-80s fastball, feel for a changeup, the ability to spin a curveball and plenty of projection as he filled out. After a respectable DSL debut in 2019, he used the shutdown to build strength and impressed in instructs in 2020 when he sat in the low 90s and topped out at 95. In 2021, he had a strong showing in the States, forging a 2.91 ERA with a 30.6% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate while logging 52.2 innings in the Florida Complex League and with Low-A Salem.

Scouting Report: Gonzalez features an easy, compact delivery that makes his fastball—which averages 93-94 mph and tops out at 97—appear to jump on hitters. He repeats his mechanics well and attacks the strike zone with his three-pitch mix. His changeup is currently his best secondary pitch and has plus potential, while his curveball remains inconsistent but flashes depth and sweep to give it above-average projection.

The Future: Gonzalez shows the potential for three above-average or better pitches, giving him mid-rotation potential if he can remain healthy and build upon his considerable development of the last two years.

Scouting Reports

BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: As a slender amateur in Venezuela, Gonzalez impressed by shaping three pitches while exuding physical projection. After the Covid shutdown year of 2020, Gonzalez emerged with a mid-90s fastball that overpowered hitters in 2021. But a lack of strength and suboptimal conditioning left Gonzalez with wildly inconsistent mechanics through much of 2022 in Low-A Salem, resulting in a 5.28 ERA and 14.8% walk rate through 17 starts. He responded well to a mid-year challenge to take ownership of his career. Added strength helped him harness his delivery to finish with a 2.43 ERA, 30.4% strikeout rate, and 8.6% walk rate in his last eight starts, split between Salem and High-A Greenville.

Scouting Report: One evaluator described Gonzalez as a 'freaky mover,' a hyper-mobile pitcher who generates incredible length in his delivery. His ability to stay on his back leg yields a low, down-the-mound release point that allows his fastball, which sits 94-96 mph and tops out at 99, to jump on hitters and get above bats, a potentially elite fastball. His curve and changeup show average or better potential, and he developed a cutter/slider at the end of 2022 that will be part of his mix in 2023.

The Future: Gonzalez has mid-rotation upside if he can throw enough strikes to get there, with plenty of fastball to be a late-innings arm if his starter development stalls. Gonzalez will start 2023 in High-A Greenville.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.
BA Grade/Risk: 50/High

Track Record: As a slender amateur in Venezuela, Gonzalez impressed by shaping three pitches while exuding physical projection. After the Covid shutdown year of 2020, Gonzalez emerged with a mid-90s fastball that overpowered hitters in 2021. But a lack of strength and suboptimal conditioning left Gonzalez with wildly inconsistent mechanics through much of 2022 in Low-A Salem, resulting in a 5.28 ERA and 14.8% walk rate through 17 starts. He responded well to a mid-year challenge to take ownership of his career. Added strength helped him harness his delivery to finish with a 2.43 ERA, 30.4% strikeout rate, and 8.6% walk rate in his last eight starts, split between Salem and High-A Greenville.

Scouting Report: One evaluator described Gonzalez as a 'freaky mover,' a hyper-mobile pitcher who generates incredible length in his delivery. His ability to stay on his back leg yields a low, down-the-mound release point that allows his fastball, which sits 94-96 mph and tops out at 99, to jump on hitters and get above bats, a potentially elite fastball. His curve and changeup show average or better potential, and he developed a cutter/slider at the end of 2022 that will be part of his mix in 2023.

The Future: Gonzalez has mid-rotation upside if he can throw enough strikes to get there, with plenty of fastball to be a late-innings arm if his starter development stalls. Gonzalez will start 2023 in High-A Greenville.

Scouting Grades: Fastball: 65. Curveball: 50. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 45.
BA Grade: 55/Extreme

Track Record: When the Sox scouted Gonzalez in Venezuela, they saw a slender pitcher with a mid-80s fastball, feel for a changeup, the ability to spin a curveball and plenty of projection as he filled out. After a respectable DSL debut in 2019, he used the shutdown to build strength and impressed in instructs in 2020 when he sat in the low 90s and topped out at 95. In 2021, he had a strong showing in the States, forging a 2.91 ERA with a 30.6% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate while logging 52.2 innings in the Florida Complex League and with Low-A Salem.

Scouting Report: Gonzalez features an easy, compact delivery that makes his fastball—which averages 93-94 mph and tops out at 97—appear to jump on hitters. He repeats his mechanics well and attacks the strike zone with his three-pitch mix. His changeup is currently his best secondary pitch and has plus potential, while his curveball remains inconsistent but flashes depth and sweep to give it above-average projection.

The Future: Gonzalez shows the potential for three above-average or better pitches, giving him mid-rotation potential if he can remain healthy and build upon his considerable development of the last two years.
Track Record: When the Sox scouted Gonzalez in Venezuela, they saw a slender pitcher with a mid-80s fastball, feel for a changeup, the ability to spin a curveball and plenty of projection as he filled out. After a respectable DSL debut in 2019, he used the shutdown to build strength and impressed in instructs in 2020 when he sat in the low 90s and topped out at 95. In 2021, he had a strong showing in the States, forging a 2.91 ERA with a 30.6% strikeout rate and 7.4% walk rate while logging 52.2 innings in the Florida Complex League and with Low-A Salem.

Scouting Report: Gonzalez features an easy, compact delivery that makes his fastball—which averages 93-94 mph and tops out at 97—appear to jump on hitters. He repeats his mechanics well and attacks the strike zone with his three-pitch mix. His changeup is currently his best secondary pitch and has plus potential, while his curveball remains inconsistent but flashes depth and sweep to give it above-average projection.

The Future: Gonzalez shows the potential for three above-average or better pitches, giving him mid-rotation potential if he can remain healthy and build upon his considerable development of the last two years.