- Full name Joseph Gonzalez
- Born 03/26/2002 in Humacao, Puerto Rico
- Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 233 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Auburn
Top Rankings
Draft Prospects
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School: Auburn Source: 4YR
Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted
Age At Draft: 21.3
BA Grade:45/Extreme
Tools:Fastball: 45. Slider: 50. Changeup: 50. Control: 60.
Gonzalez logged 42.1 innings for Auburn in his freshman season, mostly out of the bullpen, and while he did post a 6.17 ERA, he showed solid pitching ability with a three-pitch mix. His 2022 season featured much better results. The 6-foot-4, 215-pound righthander posted a 3.22 ERA over 14 starts and 78.1 innings, while striking out 54 batters and walking 15. After the season he made two appearances with Team USA, where he struck out eight batters and walked none over 7.2 innings. He made just one appearance in the 2023 season, a five-inning start in February, before being shut down with a shoulder injury for the rest of the year. Gonzalez doesn’t light up a radar gun or wow with pure stuff, but his consistency, command and composure on the mound impress evaluators who see him regularly. He pitches in the 90-92 mph range for the most part when healthy, and has touched 96, and shows good feel for a low-80s slider and a mid-80s changeup. As one of the better command artists in the 2023 class, Gonzalez had a chance to take a step forward and show a bit more velocity in his draft year, but now he’s got just one full season as a starter and health questions. -
A tall, projectable righthander out of Puerto Rico, Gonzalez showed solid command and good feel for his secondaries last summer, though his fastball velocity was below-average at the time. A member of the 2019 Under Armour All-American team, Gonzalez pitched in the 87-89 mph range and touched 90 in his one inning during the game at Wrigley Field, but showed impressive feel for a mid-70s curveball that had above-average potential with three-quarters shape and solid depth. While his fastball velocity was below-average, his heater had some armside run and sink when located down in the zone. While scouts weren’t able to see him frequently this spring, the 6-foot-4, 215-pound righthander was reportedly moving in the right direction, with scouts citing a fastball that was touching 92-93 mph a few weeks before scouting got shut down because of the novel coronavirus. With a projectable frame, a loose arm action and advanced control, Gonzalez has a lot to like and could improve his stock dramatically if he makes it to Auburn.
