Twins Daily 2024 Top Prospects: #3.5 Gabriel González, OF

New beginnings! Scary to some, enticing to others, few phenomenae are stronger than novelty. Acquired alongside fellow prospect Darren Bowen and veteran pitchers Anthony DeSclafani and Justin Topa in the trade that sent dearly departed second baseman Jorge Polanco to the Seattle Mariners, this 20-year-old outfield prospect has earned the third-and-a-half (is that right?) spot in our 2024 top prospect rankings.

Gabriel Gonzalez
Age: 20 (DOB: 01/04/2004)
2023 Stats (A, A+): 535 PA, .298/.361/.476, 142 H, 23 2B, 18 HR, 10 SB, 116 wRC+
ETA: 2026
2023 Ranking: NR

National Top 100 Rankings
BA: NR | MLB: 79 | ATH: 96 | BP: NR

What's to Like
Signed as a 17-year-old from Venezuela for $1.3 million, González joined the Mariners organization on Feb. 5, 2021. Upon signing, González began his professional career with the organization's Dominican Summer League club, hitting .287/.371/.521 with seven home runs, a 9.5% walk rate, 16.3% strikeout rate, .234 isolated power (ISO), and 141 wRC+ over 221 plate appearances. 

Since his debut season, "El Dron" has progressed from the Florida Complex team to High-A in less than two years. Although the now-20-year-old was likely pushed too quickly through the Mariners system (you'll find out why later), he has been able to excel at nearly every level. Most notably, González thrived last season with the Mariners' Low-A team, showing a knack for making contact at a significant rate.

Over 485 combined plate appearances with the Low-A Modesto Nuts, González generated an impressive 13.8% strikeout rate. His refined approach at the plate helped him thrive in Low-A, hitting .348/.403/.530 with 11 home runs and 24 doubles in his time there. González has the profile of a power-hitting corner outfielder, and while his home run numbers don't pop off the page, there is reason to suspect he could top 20 home runs his first season in the Twins' system. 

Although González is listed as 5-foot-10 and 165 pounds, he is more filled out than those outdated measurements would insinuate. Defensively, he will be limited to a corner outfield spot--if he doesn't undergo a complete transition to becoming a first base/designated hitter prototype. Although sliding to a position lower on the defensive spectrum is a negative occurrence, González's elite hand-eye coordination and overall hitting profile suggest he could seamlessly transform into a high-power, high-walk-rate slugger capable of carrying the weight of deficient defensive value. Evidently, González's calling card is his bat, so don't be surprised if he can unlock a new gear with the Twins' player development staff, who are known to accentuate hitting prospects' strengths.

What's Left to Work On
González swings at a high volume of pitches, even outside the zone. Although he could mask this shortcoming in lower minor-league levels, High-A pitchers exploited his desire to swing the bat. With the High-A Everett AquaSox, González's slash line dropped to an uninspiring .215/.290/.387. González also struggles to generate walks, as evidenced by an insipid 5.1% walk rate. His tendency to swing at pitches outside the zone is the primary knock on his offensive profile and should be monitored as he enters the Twins' pipeline.

Twins Daily's Jamie Cameron noted in his post-trade breakdown of González that the former Seattle prospect has "relatively mild" platoon splits. Evidenced by his .916 OPS against left-handed pitchers in the minors, González hits opposite-handed pitchers well. In contrast, he generated an .803 OPS against right-handed pitchers. A 113-point difference is significant, but with one number being elite and the other above-average, there is no genuine concern that he will be limited to being a platoon bat if he reaches MLB.

Finally, as alluded to earlier, González (a below-average runner) is limited defensively, meaning he will likely continue to move down the defensive spectrum. Regardless, with González being only 20 and maxing out at High-A last season, nothing is a sure thing. He could easily surprise us and maintain the speed and glove to stay in the outfield, or he might need to transition to first base. 

What's Next
González will likely begin his first Twins season in High-A with the Cedar Rapid Kernels, playing right field and hitting in the heart of the Kernels' order alongside fellow prospects Kala'i Rosario, Luke Keaschall, and Andrew Cossetti.

It is too early to know what adjustments the Twins will have Cedar Rapids coaches help González make, but it is fair to assume they will attempt to emphasize having him swing more selectively. The Twins highly value hitting the ball hard and in the air, so they will undoubtedly have González lean into his plus raw power tool to maximize his ability to hit the ball over the fence. Could he eventually become part of a trade package for a starting pitcher like Mitch Keller or Jesús Luzardo? We shall see, but for now, he is one of the best position player prospects in the Twins minor league system.

What do you think of González and his future? Will he continue as an outfielder or transition into a first baseman? Which of his glows and areas of growth intrigue you the most? Was rating him as the Twins' third-and-a-half best prospect fair? How do you think his first season with Twins player development will go? Join the discussion and comment below.