Enrique Gonzalez
| IP | 150 |
|---|---|
| ERA | 5.82 |
| WHIP | 1.487 |
| BB/9 | 3.78 |
| SO/9 | 5.04 |
- Full name Enrique Cesar Gonzalez
- Born 07/14/1982 in Bolivar, Venezuela
- Profile Ht.: 5'10" / Wt.: 225 / Bats: R / Throws: R
- School Onebad Adocateba
- Debut 05/28/2006
Top Rankings
Organization Prospect Rankings
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Signed out of Venezuela at age 16, Gonzalez didn't reach Double-A until 2005, his seventh year in the system. He led Tennessee in victories and strikeouts, finishing strong with a 2.27 ERA in his final 10 starts. Gonzalez has good command of an above-average fastball that sits at 92-94 mph and touches 96-97 several times a game. He also mixes in a cutter and an average slider. His changeup lacks deception, but he has confidence in the pitch and keeps hitters on their toes with his willingness to use it. His fastball is a little too straight, so when his secondary stuff isn't working, hitters easily can look for his heat. While his move to the rotation in mid-2004 has made him a better pitcher, his future big league role may be as a reliever. He's not big, leading to concerns about his durability over a full major league season. Gonzalez will begin the year in Triple-A. -
Gonzalez lingered in the system for five years and was seen as little more than an extra arm entering the 2004 season, which he begin in the high Class A bullpen. Pressed into a starting role in June, Gonzalez exploded, going 10-2, 2.46 in 17 starts. Gonzalez lives off his fastball, but it's a dominant pitch. He's a strike thrower who delivers easy 92-95 mph gas, and has touched 98. His stamina was one of the biggest surprises in his sudden success, as he hit 96 mph on his 104th pitch in one outing. He's a good athlete who fields his position well. He throws both a curve and a slider, but most feel the slider is the pitch he could stick with by increasing its tilt and velocity. His changeup is an average pitch, but he knows how to use it in the right situation. Gonzalez' short stature is a concern, and many still think he'll end up as a swingman or long reliever despite his success in the rotation. He'll begin the year in Double-A, looking to prove that his second half in 2004 was for real.
Minor League Top Prospects
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Gonzalez spent the first two months in the Lancaster bullpen, where he posted an uninspiring 5.45 ERA. Shifted to the rotation in June, he went 10-2, 2.46 as a starter and finished tied for the league lead in wins with 13. Despite lacking the build of a classic power pitcher, the 5-foot-10, 195-pound Gonzalez works consistently at 92-96 mph and maintains his velocity deep into games. His slider has developed into a plus pitch at times, but still can get slurvy at others. Both pitches finish low in the strike zone, generating lots of grounders. Gonzalez' changeup is still in the developmental stages, but he showed confidence in it as a starter.
