Elevys Gonzalez broke on to the prospect scene last year after just two years as a pro. Gonzalez was signed out of Venezuela in 2008, and made his debut in the VSL that year, with a .311/.367/.384 line in 151 at-bats. He made the jump to the US in 2009, but didn’t have the same success, struggling in a brief appearance in State College. Then, in 2010, Gonzalez had a sort of breakout season. He was on a team with top defensive shortstop Benji Gonzalez and top prospect Jarek Cunningham, yet Gonzalez ended up shining in the 2010 West Virginia offense, and taking playing time at shortstop from both Gonzalez and Cunningham.
Gonzalez split his time in 2010 between shortstop (15 games), third base (30 games), and second base (16 games). At the plate, he hit for a .275/.354/.424 line with six homers and four triples in 236 at-bats. The biggest accomplishment was that he looked capable of handling the shortstop position, maybe not as a full time starter, but as a guy who could fill in on occasion.
This year, Gonzalez is carrying over his success to high-A. He currently has a .292/.350/.431 line in 281 at-bats, with a very impressive 24 doubles. He hasn’t played any other position than third base this year, outside of a few appearances as the designated hitter. Gonzalez looks more like a future utility player, due to his size (5′ 11″, 175 pounds), and his lack of power. He could emerge as a strong super utility player going forward, with good defense, and the ability to fill in at shortstop. He probably won’t develop the power needed to be a starter at third base, although he could be a starter at second one day with an OPS around .800, led by a lot of doubles.
Tim started Pirates Prospects in 2009 from his home in Virginia, which was 40 minutes from where Pedro Alvarez made his pro debut in Lynchburg. That year, the Lynchburg Hillcats won the Carolina League championship, and Pirates Prospects was born from Tim's reporting along the way. The site has grown over the years to include many more writers, and Tim has gone on to become a credentialed MLB reporter, producing Pirates Prospects each year, and will publish his 11th Prospect Guide this offseason. He has also served as the Pittsburgh Pirates correspondent for Baseball America since 2019. Behind the scenes, Tim is an avid music lover, and most of the money he gets paid to run this site goes to vinyl records.
