Jacob Gonzalez Stats & Scouting Report

AB	2085
AVG	.259
OBP	.328
SLG	.387
HR	49

Full name Jacob Christopher Gonzalez
Born 06/26/1998 in Scottsdale, AZ
Profile Ht.: 6'4" / Wt.: 220 / Bats: R / Throws: R
School Chaparral
Drafted in the 2nd round (58th overall) by the San Francisco Giants in 2017 (signed for $950,000).

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Gonzalez's father Luis fashioned a 19-year big league career and was the Diamondbacks' World Series hero in 2001, hitting 57 homers in the regular season and getting the Series-winning bloop hit off Mariano Rivera. His son has a different profile; he bats righthanded, for one, and is bigger at a listed 6-foot-4, 210 pounds (the dad was 6-2, 180). In fact, his game more resembles former Arizona preps C.J. and Kevin Cron, in that he's a corner bat with modest athleticism and a chance to have a productive bat. Thick-bodied with long levers, Gonzalez has leverage and present strength to produce plus power. Few scouts see him as a third baseman as a pro, with first base or left field more likely due to at least below-average speed. Makeup and intelligence are plusses for Gonzalez, who is committed to Texas Christian, where Kevin Cron played.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: The son of five-time All-Star Luis Gonzalez, Jacob was well-known in the baseball community before the Giants drafted him with the 58th overall pick in 2017. After a strong pro debut in the Arizona League in 2017, Gonzalez skipped short-season ball and spent his first full season with low Class A Augusta. The jump proved challenging, as he struggled to get on base and tap into his plus raw power.

Scouting Report: Gonzalez was playing OK for Augusta during the first half of the season before posting an OPS just barely over .450 in August and September. The 6-foot-3 righthanded hitter struggled to get the ball in the air and as a result hit into way too many groundouts. Gonzalez is just an average third baseman with limited range. He has above-average arm strength, but the accuracy isn't consistent, so the Giants are banking on his bat improving. Gonzalez has plus raw power and is a bigger and more physical hitter than his father, who hit more than 350 career home runs in the majors.

The Future: Gonzalez is yet another Giants prospect who should be slated for high Class A San Jose in 2019, joining the likes of Joey Bart, Heliot Ramos and others. That's no gurantee, however, as his late-season slump could push him back to low Class A Augusta, where he was largely overmatched.
As the son of long-time big leaguer Luis Gonzalez, Jacob had a very good understanding of what pro ball entailed when the Giants drafted him. He's bigger and potentially stronger than his dad, who, despite a massive power spike in the early 2000s, generally hit 15-20 homers a season. A mature hitting approach was evident in Gonzalez's strong debut in the Rookie-level Arizona League, where he proved to be among the tougher outs. In drafting Gonzalez, the Giants are betting on his bat. He was better at third base in his pro debut than amateur scouts would have expected, but he's a below-average runner who lacks range going side to side. He is better coming in on balls. He has an above-average arm, though he needs to improve his throwing accuracy. It's too early to give up on him sticking at third, but it's more likely he ends up as a left fielder or first baseman. Gonzalez has legitimate plus power potential and he has a chance to hit for average as well thanks to bat speed and a discerning enough batting eye. After a strong pro debut, he's mature enough to make the jump to low Class A Augusta.

Draft Prospects

Gonzalez's father Luis fashioned a 19-year big league career and was the Diamondbacks' World Series hero in 2001, hitting 57 homers in the regular season and getting the Series-winning bloop hit off Mariano Rivera. His son has a different profile; he bats righthanded, for one, and is bigger at a listed 6-foot-4, 210 pounds (the dad was 6-2, 180). In fact, his game more resembles former Arizona preps C.J. and Kevin Cron, in that he's a corner bat with modest athleticism and a chance to have a productive bat. Thick-bodied with long levers, Gonzalez has leverage and present strength to produce plus power. Few scouts see him as a third baseman as a pro, with first base or left field more likely due to at least below-average speed. Makeup and intelligence are plusses for Gonzalez, who is committed to Texas Christian, where Kevin Cron played.

Minor League Top Prospects

The most frequent comment from scouts about Gonzalez pertains to his advanced approach at the plate, not surprising since he is the son of 2001 World Series hero Luis Gonzalez and has been around the game all his life. Picked by the Giants in the second round, the younger Gonzalez didn't have to go outside the city limits of Scottsdale to start his pro career. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds, Gonzalez is already bigger than his dad was during his 19-year big league career. While better than advertised at third base, Gonzalez may eventually outgrow the position and move to first. For now he shows plus arm strength, though he is not always accurate. He charges in on balls very well but has trouble ranging to his left. Gonzalez's bat will be his calling card. He has plus raw power now and advanced strike-zone knowledge. He's a below-average runner. He has a high aptitude for the game and shows the desire to get better. " "He handles his business," Giants manager Hector Borg said, "He's always asking questions . . . He's got a very good work ethic."