2B Nick Gonzales, New Mexico State
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DoB: 5/27/1999. B/T: R/R
2020 Stats: 12 HR, .448/.610/1.155, 4 SB, 10/21 K/BB in 16 games
I have already written extensively about Gonzales in the context of this crazy numbers here, as he's an absolutely fascinating prospect to track. If you've already read it, this article might be a bit redundant, but again, Gonzales is just so interesting as a prospect. Lightly recruited out of his Tucson, Arizona-area high school, Gonzales wound up at New Mexico State and promptly hit .347/.425/.596 with nine home runs as a freshman despite not turning 19 until the end of the season. Then, as a sophomore in 2019, he kicked it into another gear, slashing .432/.532/.773 with 16 home runs and a 30/45 strikeout to walk ratio over 55 games. Yes, you read that correctly. Gonzales hit well over .400 with an on-base percentage well north of .500 while simultaneously hitting for significant power.
Now, those numbers come with caveats. He plays his home games at NM State's Presley Askew Field, which is nearly four thousand feet above sea level (approaching Coors Field territory), and they don't use a humidifier, so the ball absolutely flies in the dry Las Cruces air. Secondly, New Mexico State doesn't play the toughest schedule in the Western Athletic Conference, making his numbers even less comparable to those of similar prospects in bigger conferences, like Austin Martin in the SEC. So, how did he answer those questions? He simply went out to the elite Cape Cod League over the summer and won the league MVP award, slashing .349/.445/.599 with eight home runs and a 29/25 strikeout to walk ratio along the way to remove any doubt of where his bat stood. He was slashing a ridiculous .448/.610/1.155 with 12 home runs, including five in one double header, in 2020 before the season ended.
There is absolutely no question that Gonzales can hit. He employs an exceptionally quick swing from the right side, and his exceptional hand-eye coordination enables him to find the barrel with almost laughable ease. He's actually pretty small, listed at just 5'10", but his hands are so quick and his bat so explosive that he can generate above average raw power despite his size. Gonzales is also incredibly consistent, having gotten on base in 82 consecutive games dating back to his freshman year, which is two shy of Ted Williams' MLB record of 84. Defensively, he's not setting the world on fire at second base, but he's worked hard to make himself a competent defender there and at the very least he will not be a liability in the infield.
Gonzales was born to hit, he's done so everywhere he's been so far, and he'll continue to do so everywhere he goes. I have also read great things about his work ethic from Baseball America (subscription required), and it would be foolish to doubt this kid will be anything but an impact hitter. The overall projection, at least offensively, is not too dissimilar to Austin Martin, though Martin does have that SEC track record plus better defense to lean on. I wouldn't knock Gonzales at all for not having that big conference track record at this point, so really the only main difference is defense. If the Tigers are truly enamored with his bat, which they should be, he has an outside shot at going first overall, though a more likely projection would be somewhere in the four to five range.
Cape Cod League game footage
Going the other way on a pitch up
In the videos, note how easily barrel finds ball. The second video is my favorite swing I've seen of his.
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