Position: LHP
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 160 lbs
Bats/Throws: L/L
Born: 11/19/2001
Country: Venezuela
How Acquired: International Free Agent, 2023
Bonus: N/A
40-man Roster: No
Rule 5 Eligible: 2024
Minor League Free Agency: 2026
Options Left: 3
Overview
Gonzalez threw 85-89 mph when he signed, with a curve and change. He had some projection and an ability to throw strikes. Through 2022, he’d generally pitched well when healthy, but he hadn’t made it out of the DSL.
2020-23
After missing 2020, Gonzalez pitched very well in his debut in 2021, with a good walk rate and an opponents’ OPS of .608. He went back in 2022 and wasn’t quite as successful as the previous year, mainly because his control dropped off a lot, as he walked 6.7 per nine innings. Opponents batted only .173 against him, with little power, and he missed a lot more bats, and still managed an ERA of 2.74. He missed the first seven weeks of the season due to injury.
Gonzalez missed the first half of the 2023 season with an injury, which may be why the Pirates sent him back to the DSL. He didn’t pitch well when he returned, with a 7.53 ERA and 1.95 WHIP.
Stats
Transactions
January 15, 2023: Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates as an international free agent.