Rebels SS Jacob Gonzalez Lands In Top 10 Of ESPN Mock Draft
No matter how you phrase it, the MLB draft starts with the No. 3 pick on July 9. LSU's Paul Skenes and Dylan Crews will go No. 1 and No. 2 to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Washington Nationals.
The question turns to the selection order. As for the other remaining first-round targets, their status will be based on scheme fit and potential upside.
Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez has often been praised for his consistency as a contact hitter and infielder. The junior Rebels star was one of the top players during last season's College World Series run and should be a lock to hear his name called within in the first 40 picks.
How high could Gonzalez go? In the latest mock draft from ESPN, the 6-2 shortstop was selected by the Miami Marlins with the 10th overall pick.
Gonzalez could well go fifth or sixth, so this is near the bottom of his range. I think Miami is another team that loves [Noble] Meyer but is looking more at hitters, which happens to be what the board is giving them. Matt Shaw, Jacob Wilson and Colin Houck are the other leading options. - ESPN's Kiley McDaniel
Scouts have been adamant that Gonzalez can handle the daily trials of playing shortstop at the professional level, making him one of the more safe options in the class. His hand-eye coordination should lead to multiple inning-ending double-play turns, while his overall arm strength likely factors into the decision to leave him inside.
Last season, Gonzalez led the Rebels in walks (35) and doubles (18) while holding a .327 batting average. He also ranked second on the team in on-base percentage (.435) and RBI (51) while totaling 10 home runs.
Gonzalez is one of four shortstop prospects looking to be off the board within the top 10. Grand Canyon's Jacob Wilson was one of the premier hitters in college baseball last spring, but scouts believe he could be better suited at second base. Both Strawberry Crest's (Fla.) Arjun Nimmala and Walter Panas' (N.Y.) Sammy Stafura have upside with youth, but have yet to prove their ability to handle the fastball from several top-named pitchers.
Multiple scouts have considered Gonzalez a contact hitter with "pop" at the plate, meaning he'll be a prospect that hits for average over power. In Miami, that seems to be a norm as second baseman Luis Arráez leads major league baseball with a .399 batting average and has flirted with .400 all year.
Skenes and Crews, who dominated en route to leading LSU to the College World Series Final, have been linked to the top of draft boards since the start of the regular season. Crews, a five-tool outfielder who won back-to-back Southeastern Conference Player of the Year honors, is projected to be the first position player selected.
Gonzalez is among the small bunch of college position prospects expected to be in the running for the No. 2 spot, joining Florida outfielder Wyatt Langford, TCU infielder Brayden Taylor, Virginia catcher Kyle Teel, and Vanderbilt outfielder Enrique Bradfield Jr.
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