Adrian Gonzalez

Organization Prospect Rankings

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  Ranked Texas Rangers #8 prospect in 2005
  Gonzalez was the No. 1 overall pick in 2000, a signability choice that looks better in retrospect as that draft's first round appears to be the worst since 1975's historically poor crop. Texas acquired Gonzalez from the Marlins for Ugueth Urbina in a July 2003 trade. Gonzalez is a natural with the bat. He has a smooth, sweet lefthanded swing that gives him the ability to hit line drives from foul pole to foul pole. He's outstanding defensively at first with soft hands, an accurate arm and good footwork. His total package resembles that of Doug Mientkiewicz. Some scouts have never believed in Gonzalez' power, and his modest slugging numbers against Triple-A and major league pitching didn't allay those fears. Never blessed with a great body, he's a poor runner who remains soft and needs to hit the weight room. With Mark Teixeira ahead of him and powerful Jason Botts behind him, Gonzalez needs to make a move in 2005. He'll probably start the year back in Triple-A.
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  Ranked Texas Rangers #1 prospect in 2004
  More than any baseball draft, the 2000 edition was dictated more by signability than ability. Nine of the top 10 picks agreed to predraft deals, including Gonzalez, who received $3 million as the No. 1 pick from the Marlins. While he was regarded as the best pure high school hitter in the draft, he was projected as more of a mid-first-rounder. Gonzalez has outplayed most of 2000's first-rounders (save for Rocco Baldelli) and is a safer bet than the players who fell out of the first round because of signability (Xavier Nady, Dane Sardinha, Jason Young). He had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right wrist following the 2002 season, a problem that seemed to hinder his ability to drive the ball throughout last season. The Marlins decided Gonzalez was expendable as Jason Stokes, their second-round pick in 2000, packs more power potential at first base. So Florida made him the centerpiece of a three-prospect package to acquire closer Ugueth Urbina from the Rangers last July. Gonzalez comes from good baseball lineage. His father David was a star first baseman for the Mexican national team, while his older brother Edgar is a third baseman whom Texas plucked from Tampa Bay in the minor league Rule 5 draft in December. Gonzalez' pure hitting approach and sweet lefthanded stroke draw comparisons to Rafael Palmeiro. Gonzalez has great balance with a short, quick swing. He sprays line drives all over the field, hitting fastballs and offspeed pitches alike. Though he's geared to smoke balls into the gaps now, he projects to develop above-average longball power in time, much like Palmeiro did. Defensively, Gonzalez is a Gold Glover in the making. He has soft hands and demonstrates excellent footwork around the bag. He's already adept at making plays to his backhand and aggressive in making plays with his strong, accurate arm on relays or throws across the diamond. The lingering affects of his wrist surgery made it hard for Gonzalez to turn on pitches on the inner half of the plate. After consecutive 17-homer seasons, he tailed off to just five last year. Some scouts question just how much power he'll develop, though they say he'll be a doubles machine--maybe more along the lines of Mark Grace than Palmeiro. Gonzalez isn't a natural athlete and some scouts are concerned about his soft body. He's a 20 runner on the 20-80 scouting scale. He always had shown a fair amount of patience, but his walk rate dipped below an acceptable level in 2003. After getting his swing together toward the end of the season and in the Arizona Fall League, Gonzalez spent the offseason working with the Rangers' strength and conditioning coach Fernando Montes in Arizona. Texas believes it will get its first look at a fully healthy Gonzalez this season at Triple-A Oklahoma. The Rangers are crowded on the corners in the upper levels. When Gonzalez is ready to jump to Arlington in 2005, Mark Teixeira likely will move to the outfield.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #3 prospect in 2003
  Signability played a large part in Gonzalez' selection as the No. 1 pick in 2000, but his performance has quieted the skeptics and justified his $3 million bonus. Older brother Edgar is a third baseman in the Devil Rays system. Their father David was a first baseman in Mexican semipro leagues into his early 40s. Gonzalez skipped high Class A and thrived after overcoming a slow start at Double-A Portland. He uses the whole field, fills the gaps, enjoys RBI situations and projects to add more power down the road. Comparisons to a young Rafael Palmeiro appear apt. Gonzalez also has Gold Glove potential with soft hands, plus range and a daring nature. Gonzalez may have been too power-conscious at the start of 2002, uncharacteristically getting himself out by expanding his zone. His speed is below-average. He made 16 errors last year, most of them due to poor concentration. With the emergence of Stokes, Gonzalez has competition to be the Marlins' future first baseman. He's ticketed for Triple-A Albuquerque, though he may miss the start of spring training after he had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his wrist in December.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #4 prospect in 2002
  A classic late bloomer, Gonzalez was considered a signability choice atop the 2000 draft. He agreed before the draft to a $3 million bonus and wasted little time validating the pick or the money. His older brother Edgar is a third baseman in the Devil Rays system. Their father David was a top first baseman in the Mexican semipro leagues into his early 40s. Gonzalez isn't intimidated by any pitcher or situation. Intelligent and confident, he publicly set a goal of hitting .420 in 2001 but was far from a disappointment. He knows his swing and the strike zone better than anyone else in the system and makes quick adjustments. He has an encyclopedic knowledge of pitchers, which should serve him well down the road. He has soft hands, decent range and saves plenty of errors with his glove. Gonzalez has gap power but doesn't project as more than a 20-homer threat. He has a tendency to drift with his hips, allowing pitchers to jam him with hard stuff inside. He wore down under the grind of his first full pro season, and his speed is well below-average. Gonzalez could jump to Double-A with a good spring. His makeup and willingness to take instruction portend a rapid rise.
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  Ranked Miami Marlins #4 prospect in 2001
  A late bloomer on the San Diego scene, Gonzalez rocketed to the top of the 2000 draft. His older brother Edgar was a 30th-round pick and signed with the Devil Rays. Their father David was a top first baseman in Mexican semipro leagues into his early 40s. Gonzalez has a smooth stroke and easy actions around the bag. His hitting has drawn comparisons to Rafael Palmeiro, while his glove evokes Mark Grace. He has tremendous makeup and a willingness to take instruction. His hand-eye coordination makes him tough to strike out and a treat to watch in the field. Gonzalez has gap power but some wonder if his wiry frame will ever produce 20-plus homers in the majors. He gets jammed sometimes with inside pitches and has a tendency to get too closed with his stride. He has an elaborate leg kick, but so far Marlins instructors have been reluctant to quiet down his lower half. In an organization full of first basemen, Gonzalez has the most polished all-around game. He already has moved Jason Stokes to left field. Gonzalez should start 2001 in the Midwest League.

Minor League Top Prospects

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  Ranked Southern League #18 prospect in 2003
  Being the No. 1 overall pick in a draft helps raise your profile in a league, even with the managers. Gonzalez accumulated just enough plate appearances in the SL to qualify for the Top 20 in between a demotion from Triple-A Albuquerque and a trade to the Rangers for Ugueth Urbina. In that time, he showed the compact, level swing that helped put him atop what in retrospect looks like a subpar 2000 draft class. Coming off a wrist injury that required surgery to repair torn cartilage, Gonzalez didn't hit for much power, but he has the ability to drive the ball to all fields and is an excellent glove man at first base. "I think he's a better defender at first than LaRoche," Carolina manager Tracy Woodson said. "He's got great hands. His wrist was not 100 percent, but he will hit down the road. He's got the swing and stays inside the ball. It comes naturally to him."
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  Ranked Texas League #15 prospect in 2003
  Gonzalez came over to the Rangers from the Marlins in a midseason trade for Ugueth Urbina. He didn't show his full talent because he's still recovering from surgery last December to repair torn cartilage in his wrist, but his swing and defense were still enough to get him noticed. Managers loved Gonzalez' work at first base. "He has the best pair of hands I've ever coached at first base," Ireland said. But it's his classic lefthanded swing that will carry Gonzalez to the big leagues. He didn't show much power this season, which is attributed to the wrist, though he doesn't project as a major masher. One manager compared his inside-out swing to Jim Edmonds' when he was in the minors. Though he's a lefthanded hitter, Gonzalez' power is to left-center.
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  Ranked Eastern League #7 prospect in 2002
  After being named the top prospect in the Midwest League last year, Gonzalez skipped a level and headed to Double-A before turning 20. His average dropped 46 points to .266, but he continued to show a terrific stroke and finished second in the EL in RBIs. "For a 19-year-old at this level, he has unlimited bat potential," said an AL scout. "He has a great command of the strike zone. He has line drive and gap power, but he's going to develop and hit home runs. He's a future Gold Glover." Another scout expressed concerns about Gonzalez' lack of athleticism and quickness, but he had no doubts about his bat.
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  Ranked Midwest League #1 prospect in 2001
  The Marlins say otherwise, but Gonzalez' signability did play a major role in their decision to take him first overall in the 2000 draft. A year later, all anyone cares about is his ability. He didn't make good on his early-season statement that he could hit .420, but he was named MVP and prospect of the year. Extremely refined for a teenager, Gonzalez lived up to his reputation as a cross between Mark Grace and Rafael Palmeiro. He has a beautiful swing and uses the entire field, generally making everything look easy both offensively and defensively. Gonzalez led the MWL with 251 total bases and projects to hit 25-30 homers annually in the majors, though he didn't hit for much power against lefthanders this year. "He's just so complete," a National League scout said. "He hits the ball to all fields and he's a very polished, mature hitter. He's very calm at the plate. He hits line drives, but he also can turn on a ball and win you a game. Plus he's so polished defensively. He's a Gold Glove guy."
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  Ranked Florida Complex League #5 prospect in 2000
  Gonzalez was the top pick in the 2000 draft and impressed managers with an exceptional feel for hitting, a fluid stroke and the expert way he handled himself around first base. "He hits everything you throw at him," Tigers manager Kevin Bradshaw said. "His bat was a little slow at the start of the year, then it picked up speed. He lays off the tough pitches very well." Gonzalez didn’t homer in 193 at-bats, but most managers believe he’ll develop power as he learns to pull the ball consistently. He's more of a line-drive hitter now. "He's got excellent balance, timing and rhythm at the plate for a young hitter," Royals manager Andre David said.

Top 100 Rankings

• Ranked Baseball America's #52 prospect in 2004
• Ranked Baseball America's #31 prospect in 2003
• Ranked Baseball America's #31 prospect in 2002
• Ranked Baseball America's #89 prospect in 2001

• December, 1999 Scouting Report
  Gonzalez was the top pick in the 2000 draft and impressed managers with an exceptional feel for hitting, a fluid stroke and the expert way he handled himself around first base. "He hits everything you throw at him," Tigers manager Kevin Bradshaw said. "His bat was a little slow at the start of the year, then it picked up speed. He lays off the tough pitches very well." Gonzalez didn’t homer in 193 at-bats, but most managers believe he’ll develop power as he learns to pull the ball consistently. He's more of a line-drive hitter now. "He's got excellent balance, timing and rhythm at the plate for a young hitter," Royals manager Andre David said.