Former White Sox first-round pick could be facing final stand with team in 2026

When the White Sox drafted infielder Jacob Gonzalez in the first round of the 2023 MLB draft, many envisioned a future middle infield mainstay on the south side. Gonzalez, once considered a top five player in the draft class, fell to the White Sox at 15, and the club made him the choice despite questions about his bat translating to the pros. A left-handed college bat from the University of Mississippi, Gonzalez was viewed as a fast-moving prospect who could reach the big leagues in minimal time, but he’s yet to put it together in the minor leagues. Now in 2026, it could be the last chance for Gonzalez to make a career on the south side. 

Jacob Gonzalez has yet to live up to expectations with the White Sox

Gonzalez began his minor league career with a 30-game stint in Kannapolis during his draft season. He hit just .207 with a .589 OPS during that span, and the White Sox hoped for better results in year two. Gonzalez began his second year strong, posting a .763 OPS in 36 games for High-A Winston-Salem before a promotion to Birmingham. Unfortunately, he struggled at the Double-A level, with just a .605 OPS the rest of the way. Gonzalez began 2025 at the Double-A level and received a promotion to Charlotte despite unspectacular production, but he finished the 2025 season with an OPS of just .652.

Gonzalez, who was a top five prospect in the organization as recently as 2024, has dropped all the way back to 26th on MLB Pipeline's latest list, and looks like little more than a utility infielder at this point. At one time, scouts believed he could hit 20+ home runs at the big league level, but he’s never even reached a double-digit total in either of his first two minor league seasons. Gonzalez has gotten some early playing time in Cactus League games after being invited to camp as a non-roster invitee. In seven games so far, he’s just 2-for-12 with a double and two walks. 

At just 23, the White Sox aren’t going to completely give up on Gonzalez, and he’ll likely get a good amount of playing time for Charlotte this season. But the White Sox infield is solid at the major league level, and players like Curtis Mead, Sam Antonacci, and William Bergolla have shown more upside than Gonzalez over the past couple seasons. If Ryan Fuller and the hitting staff can make some adjustments with Gonzalez and get him back on track, he could still make an impact at the big league level, but another season of the same production could spell the end of his White Sox tenure. 

The White Sox are on the upswing after three awful seasons and they can no longer afford to provide an endless leash to players who aren’t performing. No matter how high they were drafted, there comes a point in every player’s career where they’ll need to either produce or find a new home. For Jacob Gonzalez, that time may be now.