“Gonzalez’s name was coming up as high as No. 5 to the Twins. With a solid approach, Gonzalez works counts and draws walks, and he did a better job in 2023 of not getting power-happy while still finishing with a .999 OPS. The left-handed hitter has the chance to be an above-average hitter with better than average power.”
That quote comes from an article written by Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline after day one of the 2023 MLB Draft, following the White Sox selecting Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez with the 15th overall pick.
As Mayo said, there were rumors heading into the draft that Gonzalez could go somewhere in the top five, despite being the No. 18 ranked prospect on MLB Pipeline’s draft big board. While there were questions about his defense and which position he would play long term, most scouts and evaluators were incredibly optimistic about Gonzalez from an offensive standpoint. He had consistent production throughout his three years in the SEC, and he showed the ability to hit for both contact and power while taking enough walks to get on base at a .427 clip during his college career.
Weirdly enough, drafting Gonzalez in the first round was supposed to be a safe pick by the White Sox. The ceiling wasn’t that of the high school players taken both before and after him, but selecting a high-floor offensive player who could play the infield and bat left-handed felt like a sure bet for the White Sox to at least get a future big leaguer out of the 15th overall pick.
But for most of his professional career up to this point, Gonzalez has looked anything but the part of a future big leaguer and former first-rounder.
After signing in 2023, Gonzalez hit .211 with a .593 OPS in 34 games between the Arizona Complex League and Low-A Kannapolis.
In 2024, he split time between High-A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham, posting a .650 OPS with eight home runs and a .238 batting average.
His numbers were nearly identical in 2025, with the exact same on-base percentage and a nearly identical OPS of .652, along with another season of eight home runs and 17 stolen bases. This time, he was playing in Double-A Birmingham and Triple-A Charlotte.
Still, there wasn’t much to get you excited about with Gonzalez or what he projected to be at the big league level. He was having trouble hitting for contact in the minor leagues, and the power wasn’t developing quite like the White Sox had hoped when they drafted him. That string of underwhelming seasons dropped Gonzalez all the way to the No. 24 ranked prospect in the White Sox organization heading into 2026.
But just as I and many other White Sox fans were ready to write him off, Gonzalez is finally starting to look like the player the White Sox drafted.
In 27 games at Triple-A Charlotte to begin 2026, Gonzalez has a .985 OPS with eight home runs. That ties his professional career high. His batting average is up to .286, he has 26 RBIs, and while the strikeout rate has ticked up slightly, so has the walk rate. Gonzalez is getting on base at a .403 clip while playing most of his defensive innings at shortstop.
Jacob Gonzalez rings up Mint St. again for his 2nd HR of the game and 7th on the season. 11-6 #Knights. pic.twitter.com/N3tEc29Dpp
Now, obviously, the White Sox aren’t going to call up Gonzalez to be the regular shortstop at the MLB level. There’s already plenty of competition at that spot, and given his defensive ability, Chicago has no reason to move Colson Montgomery around the diamond.
Quite frankly, it’s not entirely clear where Gonzalez would play if the White Sox did give him a chance in Chicago. At best, you could see him working in at second base when Chase Meidroth needs a day off, and maybe getting the occasional start at third base for Miguel Vargas.
But if Gonzalez keeps this up, it would benefit the White Sox to give him a look in the big leagues.
At the very least, you’re getting some MLB contribution from a former first-round pick, which is always a good place to start when it comes to ROI. But beyond that, some success at the MLB level could turn Gonzalez into a more valuable and recognizable asset. From there, the White Sox could decide whether to keep him and adjust his role, or explore moving him in a trade to address another area of need.
It goes without saying, but the more young players you have producing, the better. Gonzalez is still just 23 years old, still has that first-round pedigree, and may have finally figured things out in professional baseball.
There’s been a lot to like in the White Sox farm system so far in 2026, but a breakout season from a former first-round pick like this can’t be overlooked.