White Sox selected Mississippi SS Jacob Gonzalez with the 15th pick of the 2023 MLB Draft.
While he spent the last three years as one of college baseball’s best players, the issue with Gonzalez is how he progressed. His best season was as a 19-year-old freshman, as he posted OPS’s of 1.005, .963 and .999 in his three seasons at Mississippi. There’s also concerns whether he offers enough range to be a plus defender at shortstop, although he’s reliable, and would almost certainly be a quality second baseman if the White Sox want to go in that direction. His left-handed bat is solid enough that he’s one of the safest bets in the draft to turn into a contributor in the majors. It’s just the upside that’s in question.
