The Royals added Gonzalez for $157,500 out of Venezuela in January 2023, and he’s already proving to be one of the standouts of Kansas City’s international class from that year. He slashed .245/.355/.364 with 17 stolen bases over 43 games as a Dominican Summer League midseason All-Star last year and broke out a bit more in 2024 with a .285/.398/.384 line, 110 wRC+ and 22 steals in 41 games in the Arizona Complex League.
Standing in at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds, Gonzalez has a bit of a throwback centerfield prototype. His plus speed is his loudest tool, and he’s becoming more efficient on the basepaths in year two, dropping his caught-stealing count from 11 to four over similar sample sizes. Batting from the right side, he’s more of a slasher at the plate at this stage, putting more than 50 percent of his batted balls on the ground this summer. That fits his profile since he can beat out grounders and maintain a high BABIP, but his power remains a big question mark as he heads toward his 20s.
Gonzalez’s wheels make him a defensive asset in the outfield, and after spending a little time in left field in ’23, he’s been center-field-only during his first trip stateside -- a sign of just how much Kansas City values his work up the middle. Much will come down to how much pop he can grow into at the full-season level, but there are enough tools here to arch some eyebrows early in Gonzalez’s career.
