(670 The Score) The White Sox selected Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez with the No. 15 overall pick in the first round of the MLB Draft on Sunday evening.
The 21-year-old Gonzalez, who's a lefty bat, hit .327 with 10 homers, 51 RBIs and a .977 OPS in 54 games this past season. He drew 35 walks and struck out 28 times in 2023. Gonzalez earned first-team all-SEC honors in 2022 and second-team all-SEC honors in 2023.
"It feels great getting going on my journey," Gonzalez said. "They (the White Sox) were the best meeting I had in the combine, so I knew they had a strong interest. I had a good idea about them. They were the only (team) that went over my swing with video and asked me in detail about what I was trying to do with the swing and what I was thinking. They were more hands-on in the interview and seemed more interested in me."
Gonzalez was a three-year starter at shortstop for Ole Miss, taking over the job during his freshman year.
"Gonzalez has the bat-to-ball skills and control of the strike zone to be at least a solid hitter, and he has been more consistent in 2023 after hunting home runs too much as a sophomore," read the MLB Pipeline scouting report on him. "With his strength, bat speed and the leverage in his left-handed stroke, he has 25-homer potential. He does a nice job of using the entire field, with most of his over-the-fence power going to his pull side."
There's uncertainty about whether Gonzalez projects to be a middle infielder or a third baseman in his professional career, MLB Pipeline analyst Jim Callis said on MLB Network.
At No. 51 overall in the second round, the White Sox selected LSU right-hander Grant Taylor, who missed the 2023 season due to a UCL injury. Taylor was 4-1 with a 5.81 ERA in 17 appearances across 31 innings in 2022, when he struck out 39 batters and walked 21.
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