Gabriel Gonzalez didn’t make the first impression he wanted in the Twins organization last year. Not with a nagging back injury that zapped the power from his swing.
In his second season in the organization, the 21-year-old corner outfielder was determined to put himself in a better position. He spent much of the offseason at the Twins’ spring training complex and got into better shape.
It all paid off this year when he ascended from High-A Cedar Rapids to Triple-A St. Paul. In 123 games, Gonzalez batted .329/.395/.513 with 15 home runs, 38 doubles and 66 RBIs.
“He’s someone who deserves a lot of credit for the work he put in during the offseason,” Twins farm director Drew MacPhail said. “The year he had really raking across three levels probably was our best overall offensive performance.”
When the Twins acquired Gonzalez in the January 2024 Jorge Polanco trade, they saw him as a bat-first prospect with an innate ability to make contact. They just wanted him to remain focused on not expanding the strike zone, even if he could still touch many of those pitches.
“When we acquired him originally, it was someone we knew who didn’t strike out a lot,” Twins GM Jeremy Zoll said. “You’re hopeful to improve his swing decisions a bit. That’s been the heavy focus of his training since he’s been in the organization is just reducing that chase.”
Gonzalez opened the season with an .824 OPS in High-A, repeating the Midwest League for a second year, and that was his worst offensive month.
“Double-A early, he wasn’t showing a ton of power,” Zoll said. “He was collecting a ton of hits, and then the doubles and homers started to come as that went on.”
The Twins are expected to add Gonzalez to their 40-man roster this winter, protecting him from the Rule 5 draft.
“You see the walk rate is in a better spot than it’s been for a bit,” Zoll said. “To have that combo of power with that low strikeout rate is a really encouraging profile. It’s been great to see him settle in this year.”