José Gonzáles, age 20, from New York, NY, was drafted by then first-year GM JRamirez 248th overall (DM Round 8, Pick 17), and he's now the BBA's Number 5 ranked Prospect. He stands at a 75 POT. He also stands 6' 1" (he's only 165 pounds and refuses to augment that). Picked when his report showed 5/4/4 POT, he has since gone to 7/4/5 and now to 10/5/6 in what they call "version 26" ratings. He was drafted as a possible starter.
Teams may have stayed away from drafting Gonzáles thanks to his 9.21 ERA in only seven starts for Mobil Pegasus High School in 2059. But the 17-y.o. saved 17 games for the Rookie Level Saylorville Nuts, who went only 28-40 that season (thus mitigating the youngster's 1-8 W-L record). He was the closer from the get-go that season for the Nuts, and his 30 games out of the pen was a team-high. He had a 3.72 ERA.
He remained with the Nuts all the next season, 2060, and the team improved its win total to 41, losing 27, as JR began to revamp his minor league coaching staffs and team rosters. Gonzáles saw mixed duty this season, starting six and relieving in nine games. He finished fourth on the Nuts with 55 IP and turned in a 3.93 ERA. Nothing eye-popping. And Kurtis Wallace, 17, had taken over as closer and he saved 20. He had been drafted 5th that year.
In 2061 Gonzáles, now in his 3rd season with R-L Saylorville, was the No 4 starter. He was behind Luis Enders (6-4, 88 IP), Fernando Ramirez (7-2, 75 IP), and Paco Garcia (6-3, 71 IP). Our Gonzáles started eight games and recorded a 2.86 ERA on a pitching staff that had a 3.16 ERA. He logged 44 innings. He was transferred to Short-A ball and started five games, posting a 5.70 ERA.
In '62 he started five games for the same Coco Cay Anglers and was 0-3, 5.01. That May, his POT had risen from 25 to 40. Nonetheless, he wasn't happy. Neither was JR, who really liked this kid. After discussions with his agent, JR promoted our Gonzáles to Single-A Portsmouth, a team in its second season of winning its division under continued MiL improvements by JR. Portsmouth that season featured starters Carlos Vazquez (24 GS), Javier Lopez (18 GS), Daniel Corrigan (10-2 in 18 GS), Armando Pacheco (17 GS), Abesaloma Arora (15 GS), and Tirobrady Sargisson (13 GS). Our Gonzáles, the youngest among all of these, got in 12 GS. He pitched well but nothing spectacular: 4.00 ERA (which was a 99 ERA+) and 1.44 WHIP. By season's end, September, he had increased to a 45 POT.
By the end of seven months of offseason, preseason, and spring training, his POT rating had shot up to 60 as a starter (although it is 75 on his main screen). He pitched six innings this Spring Training. This might have helped jump his ratings. The plan is to start him again at Single-A Portsmouth—he's still only 20—but this time as the Number 1 starter in the rotation, and he (now at 10/5/6) will lead a rotation that includes Ruben Jimenez (7/5/5), Enrique Flores (9/6/6), Luis Enders (5/5/5), Fernando Ramirez (6/5/3), and Paco Garcia (5/5/5). He is a 30 OVR, so he may or may not be promoted to Double-A Providence this season.
Although he probably benefitted from pitching six innings in ST, he did not participate in any D-Lab training. He was drafted with a High Work Ethic.
