Written by Greg Fertel
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05 June 2007
- Age: 24
- Height: 5'11"
- Weight: 165 lbs
- Acquired: Traded as part of the deal for Randy Johnson
- Position: Shortstop
- Bats: Right
Scouting Report: Alberto Gonzalez is one of the better defensive shortstops in professional baseball. He has very good range and one of the best infield arms in baseball. On top of all of that, he can hit. He has a short line drive swing that gets him a lot of contact and enough power to get by. He takes his fair share of walks at the plate. On the basepaths, Gonzalez isn't slow, but also is not much of a base stealer.
History: Gonzalez came over to the United States late for a top prospect, not playing here until after his 21st birthday. He spent two seasons down in low A ball, hitting .318/.359/.426 his second year. That batting line combined with his defensive play bought Gonzalez a ticket straight to AA, skipping the advanced A ball league. Gonzalez struggled for two months, but eventually adjusted to post a .290/.356/.392 line there. The Yankees acquired him from the Diamondbacks for Randy Johnson and sent him to AAA Scranton.
This Season: It's been a tough season for Gonzalez. He has hit .243/.280/.344 so far. He has 26 strikeouts in 51 games, but just 8 walks. Gonzalez has hit for stretches at a time, but then fallen into big slumps. He's not striking, which is the good news, but he's also not taking his walks. Gonzalez took time to adjust to each new level as he rose through the minors, so I'm not worried yet. He's been unhealthy at times and also has been playing inconsistently due to Scranton's struggle to get all their infielders playing time. Gonzalez may be 24 years old, but has far less experience under his belt than other baseball players his age, so he's going to have a slow adjustment like this.
Outlook and Movement: He's not going anywhere. I'd expect to see Gonzalez mirror his time in AA, where he finally mastered the level in the second half of the season. So far, the Yankees are keeping him solely as a shortstop, because they believe that he can be a major league regular. They will be patient with him. Don't expect to see him in the major leagues until the middle of 2008. There aren't a lot of other shortstops in the organization, so there is no rush.
Ranking: I like Gonzalez, a lot. He reminds me a lot of a David Eckstein type - hitting .290/.350/.390 and playing stellar defense. There is a lot of value there. Eventually, the Yankees are going to have to move Derek Jeter to another position. If Gonzalez can come around, he could do a lot of good work at the position. Yankee pitchers are going to love him. Gonzalez has played 2nd in the past, but not since his first days of professional ball. His arm is strong enough for 3rd, so if the Yankees want to start preparing him for a utility role, that option is available to them.
Next up: #17 Mitch Hilligoss
