White Sox draft CF Luis Gonzalez in the 3rd round

The White Sox continue the theme of advanced college bats by selecting New Mexico’s Luis Gonzalez in the third round.
School: New Mexico
Position: Centerfielder
Height/Weight: 6-0, 185 lbs
B/T: L/L
D.O.B: 9/10/1995
2017 Stats: .361/.500/.589, 22 2B, 2 3B, 8 HR, 42 RBI, 58 BB, 32 K in 219 AB
Gonzalez, a native of Sonora, Mexico, is a junior from University of New Mexico who played his prep ball in Tucson, Arizona. Gonzalez was a two-way player at UNM, but his future is undoubtedly in the outfield.
He plays an above-average center field with good instincts, and above-average to plus speed, arm, and range on defense. Gonzalez pitched all three years for the Lobos and reportedly bumps 90 mph, but was not draft worthy as a hurler, compiling a 6.13 ERA.
At the plate Gonzalez shows fantastic discipline and control of the zone, as evidenced by his absurd walk-to-strikeout rate. Gonzalez finished sixth in NCAA D-I in walks this season with 58 free passes. He consistently gets himself into favorable hitters’ counts and makes loud contact to all fields, smacking 32 extra base hits in 2017, good for 40.5% of his total hits. Gonzalez’s home run total has grown every year and in 2017 he hit eight long balls, but with a wood bat he will most likely settle in as a gap-to-gap power hitter.
As a total package, Gonzalez is a polished college player who possesses all five tools and will contribute in multiple ways. He is a safe bet to stick in center, and unlike previously drafted toolsy outfielders, Gonzalez has very little swing-and-miss in his game. MLB Pipeline put a Ender Inciarte comparison on him, which sounds about right for his ceiling. He has received high marks for his makeup, competitiveness, and baseball acumen. 

#WhiteSox take Luis Gonzalez. This is one of the best college hitters left. Good athlete with an outstanding hit tool

— Frankie Piliere (@FPiliereD1) June 13, 2017

Video below, courtesy of MLB Pipeline:

Want to know right away when we publish a new article? Type your email address in the box on the right-side bar (or at the bottom, if on a mobile device) and click the “create subscription” button. Our list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time.