Cerritos College 1B Michael Gonzalez Scouting Report, March 2018

Low, wide set at the plate; good balance throughout stride and swing; keeps himself fairly wide and unlikely to leak out front on off-speed, but saps some natural physical leverage and raw power as a trade-off. Tracks the ball well; clear aptitude for some rudimentary pitch recognition and will pick up spin; raw, but shows some restraint for strike zone discipline. Loose and strong hands and wrists; athletic with the bat; good bat speed with plenty of potential there to create leverage. Happy feet in the box; will pick up and put down back foot a few times going into load; to that end, reminiscent to me of guys like Nolan and Jonah Arenado. Really love his swing; must add barrel manipulation for power and I’d love to see him sell out to pull side a bit more often as a middle-of-the-order guy, but underlying mechanics are strong and he’ll produce line drive pop in the air with consistency as he grows.

Ridiculous amount of physical projection in his frame coupled with strong hands and wrists, flashes of plus bat speed, and tons of natural leverage through swing still to come. Flashes 45-50 raw power in batting practice right now with some feel for lifting the ball. Inconsistent pop in game action, but will uncoil a beautiful swing on occasion; lots of upside as a middle-of-the-order guy. Longer physical and mechanical road ahead to really produce consistent over-the-fence pop, and his entire projection is dependent upon doing so, but the foundation is there. I have a feeling his power bat could be a sight to see in twelve months.

Decently quick first step to the ball and some ease of lateral movement; moves his feet well and won’t get tied up fielding bunts/working off to his right away from the first base bag. Iffy hands right now, though; less feel, inconsistent, raw and underdeveloped with the glove. Needs innings to flesh it out, but Michael Gonzalez should turn into a serviceable first baseman. Athleticism and potential for speed make me wonder about fit as corner outfielder, but I haven’t seen him work out there in my three looks at Cerritos College this spring.

Lacks arm strength right now and a far better fit at first base than in the outfield corners despite some general athleticism and plenty of potential for more. Throwing mechanics are good enough; inconsistent right now with lack of velocity on throws and inability to quickly release ball when throwing against his body (fielding/throwing to third base on bunts, for example). Very early in his career though; definite room for improvement with likely a big jump ahead in the next twelve months — lots to be fleshed out with pretty conventional long-toss program for general arm strength.

Timed 4.36 to first base and 4.80 on the turn from RHH box; objective (below-average) foot speed hasn’t yet tracked with abundant athleticism. So long and lean through lower half; baby deer; inefficient running movements at present as he grows into his body. Will settle into a very athletic, strong build; real shot to be an above-average runner when he does fill out and fully figure out his coordination. Underlying athleticism is there to be a sneaky fast, quick-twitch athlete, even in corner infield/mid-lineup role.

Physical projection is off the charts; very well-built kid with great musculature and fit form, and yet still extremely lean with room to add a ton of strength without getting muscle-bound. Listed at 6’2”, 185 lbs., and easy to imagine another 20-25 pounds of good weight on him in the coming couple years (like I said, baby deer). A bit awkward at present in movements, particularly on defense; still fighting to figure out coordination with young, lean body. Easy to envision him growing into impressive physical specimen and natural power hitter at peak; what he lacks in maturity in offensive approach and defensive prowess, he makes up for in pure, raw physical upside. Underdeveloped game IQ at present, but Michael Gonzalez is a pure projection play for those banking on loads of physical development to come in the next 2-3 years.

Can’t imagine Michael Gonzalez being selected in the MLB Draft this June as a true freshman, but he’s definitely a guy for a scout to turn in as a long-term follow. Physical upside is considerable, and though he’s likely too raw and underdeveloped for pro ball at this summer’s MLB Draft, it’s easy to imagine his name popping up in a year or two dependent on future production at Cerritos College and beyond.

MLB Draft and pro ball still a ways off; admittedly tough to truly project ceiling and future value/role at this point, but enough athleticism and physical potential to command a corner infield/outfield role at ceiling if hit and power tools develop along with body. Really, entire future projection/professional profile rest on imperative to develop at the plate. Speed and underlying athleticism are a wild card here, too; could flash an intriguing speed/power combo in a few years to entice a pro organization. Jury is still out on whether he’s got pro ball chops, and certainly not ready for it now, but Michael Gonzalez is a long-term follow to look back at in 12 and 24 months. Will be a nice high-uspide project for a four-year school after Cerritos College. MLB ETA: 2023-24.