BENJAMIN GONZALEZ
1/16/90; '08 7th; Puerto Rico Baseball Academy
R/R; 5-11, 160
| Level |
BA |
OBP |
SA |
AB |
2B |
3B |
HR |
BB |
K |
SB |
CS |
| 2008 R |
.207 |
.331 |
.223 |
121 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
22 |
28 |
8 |
1 |
| 2009
A |
.250 |
.308 |
.333 |
12 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
| 2009 R |
.289 |
.363 |
.333 |
159 |
5 |
1 |
0 |
17 |
33 |
7 |
5 |
For the second year in a row, the Pirates selected a player from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy in the 7th round. This is an example of how silly it is for teams to refuse to admit that other factors influence their selections besides taking the "best player available." What are the odds that, out of the thousands of schools that have players drafted every year, two years in a row a player from the Puerto Rico Baseball Academy was the best player available when the Pirates selected in the seventh round? At any rate, according to Baseball America, Gonzalez runs well and is a good defensive player, but scouts are doubtful he'll be able to hit well enough for the pros. He had a commitment to Oklahoma State, but signed with the Pirates. He played about as expected in the GCL, doing very little with the bat beyond showing very good plate discipline and some speed. Despite the presence of Jarek Cunningham and Andury Acevedo, Gonzalez was the team's primary shortstop, which is probably an indication of his defensive ability.
In 2009, Gonzalez returned to the GCL and again was the regular SS. His hitting improved significantly and he did a good job of getting on base, although he still has no power at all. He got a final-week promotion to West Virginia when Greg Picart got hurt. If the Pirates promote Brock Holt to Lynchburg in 2010, they could give Gonzalez a shot at low A. He'll still be only 20 next year, which would be a good age for that level.
Return to Shortstops