Infielder Jacob Gonzalez was the 15th overall pick in the 2023 MLB Draft by the Chicago White Sox.
Hailing from the University of Mississippi, Gonzalez was praised for his offensive potential when he entered the draft. MLB.com ranked him the 18th best prospect in the draft class.
"With his strength, bat speed and the leverage in his left-handed stroke, [Gonzalez] has 25-homer potential. He does a nice job of using the entire field, with most of his over-the-fence power going to his pull side," reads his prospect profile from before the draft.
Some evaluators had doubts about Gonzalez's ceiling, but the overwhelming consensus was that he could be a quality big leaguer somewhere on the infield. All he did was produce against SEC pitching during his three years at Ole Miss.
Gonzalez has had a slow start to his professional career
Up until recently, things hadn't clicked for Gonzalez in professional baseball. He played 34 games in the organization after signing his contract with a $3.9 million underslot bonus.
Gonzalez hit just .211 with a .593 OPS in 2023, playing most of his games with Low-A Kannapolis.
2024 was his first full professional season., Gonzalez opened the year in High-A Winston-Salem, where he found moderate success (.762 OPS), but failed to tap into his power. Still, he was promoted to Double-A Birmingham in May.
Birmingham didn't treat Gonzalez well in 2024. He played 94 games for the Barons that season and hit just .225 with an OPS at .604.
Another rough start to the 2025 season had White Sox fans doubting if Gonzalez would ever develop into a big leaguer. He seemed to be on the wrong trajectory for a prospect that had a high floor in pre-draft evaluations.
However, over the last few months, Gonzalez has started to put it all together. He now looks like the player the White Sox drafted in the first round and could even be getting ready for an MLB call-up by the end of the season.
Gonzalez has found his stride in Charlotte
On May 16, Gonzalez was hitting .207 with one (1) home run and a .589 OPS in Birmingham. He then made a change and started using the trendy torpedo bat.
Over his next 57 games, Gonzalez had a batting average of .264 with five (5) home runs, 14 doubles, and a .721 OPS. It wasn't perfect or the type of production you'd want from a 23-year-old first-round draft pick, but it was progress.
The White Sox opted to give Gonzalez a chance in Triple-A. He was promoted to join the Charlotte Knights on july 26, and in his first 12 games with the team, he has two home runs with an .888 OPS.
Jacob Gonzalez is getting comfortable in AAA. He launches his 2nd HR, a 3R bomb off the batter’s eye. 9-0 #Knights. pic.twitter.com/M3oX1KteVX
— FutureSox (@FutureSox) August 10, 2025
Gonzalez now has eight (8) home runs, 23 doubles, 13 stolen bases, and an OPS flirting with .700 (.698) on the season. His OPS is .749 in his last 252 at-bats. He has only struck out 32 times in that stretch. He's come a long way from where he was in May.
Could Jacob Gonzalez be a September call-up?
At the start of September, MLB rosters will expand to 28 players, allowing teams to make temporary call-ups. If Gonzalez finishes out August hitting like he has been, he's a contender to get an opportunity in Chicago.
I expect Jacob Amaya and Josh Rojas to be sent packing once Chase Meidroth and Miguel Vargas return from the Injured List. That could leave a spot on the infield open once rosters expand.
Teams like to give their high draft picks opportunities to prove themsleves, and with Gonzalez beginning to find his groove, there's no time like the present.