If this version of the rebuild is going to work out, the Chicago White Sox are going to need to hit on their draft picks.
Organizations that do not spend big in free agency need to build through the draft and rely on their player development. The Sox have not been good in that area in the past, but there are signs that the organization could be turning a corner thanks to specialists like Brian Bannister and Ryan Fuller.
Not everybody is going to be the Tampa Bay Rays or Cleveland Guardians who seem to find and develop talent from every round of the MLB Draft. But when it comes to those first round draft picks, you simply have to hit.
Jacob Gonzalez was drafted by the White Sox in the first round of the 2023 MLB Draft, but has not lived up the hype that surrounded him coming out of Ole Miss.
For the 15th overall selection, Gonzalez has been a major disappointment, but he has recently shown some promise with his production in the minor leagues.
Gonzalez has not tapped into his power
One of the most disappointing things about Gonzalez is that he has not flashed much power as a pro.
"With his strength, bat speed and the leverage in his left-handed stroke, he has 25-homer potential," wrote MLB.com when Gonzalez was entering the draft. After all, he hit 18 home runs as a college sophomore back in 2022.
Gonzalez only hit eight (8) home runs in 2023 and finished with a slugging percentage of .343 between Winston-Salem and Birmingham.
We have finally seen some power on display this week. Gonzalez has hammered three (3) home runs in his last four games. He has four (4) home runs total in the month of May. He is slugging .500 this month, as well.
Gonzalez is on a hot streak
Since May 17, Gonzalez has played in eight (8) games and put up four (4) multi-hit performances. He is batting .423 over that stretch and has now raised his season OPS to .714 for Double-A Birmingham.
Don't get me wrong, a .714 OPS in Double-A for a former first round pick is still incredibly underwhelming, but Gonzalez has it moving in the right direction.
Given the lack of high-upside position players throughout the organization, if Gonzalez turns out to be a Major League player, it would be a sight for sore eyes.
Chase Meidroth is looking like he may have what it takes to be the starting shortstop of the future at the big league level. Colson Mongtomery may project best as a third baseman. The Sox also have Caleb Bonemer in the organization, who is shining in Kannapolis thus far, but there could be an opening for Gonzalez to play second base and stick.
I won't get carried away, but I had completely written off Gonzalez about a month ago. Now it's safe to say that White Sox fans should keep their eyes on Jacob Gonzalez when checking those minor league box scores. That's an improvement from where we were at.