Prospect Spotlight: Ivan Gonzalez

Catchers who hit well and are a plus defensively are few and far between. Former West Virginia University and Round Rock, Texas native Ivan Gonzalez fits both bills. Drafted in 2019 in the 8th round by the Chicago White Sox, Gonzalez looks like a steal.

After graduating from Stony Point High School, he went on to be a solid, four year starter for the Mountaineers. Over 211 collegiate games, Gonzalez hit .305/.374 with 230 hits, 44 doubles, 4 triples, 9 home runs, and 108 RBI. He walked 81 times and struck out only 88, showing a good eye at the plate. Ivan helped the Mountaineers to two NCAA tournament spots, in 2017 and 2019, where WVU made it to the regionals both years.

The White Sox picked Gonzalez up in 2019 and his first pro stop was their Arizona League (Rookie) entry, where he spent 10 games terrorizing opposing AZL pitchers. His slash line of .459/.545/.568 was all the Sox needed to see before moving Ivan up to Great Falls (Short season A, Pioneer League.) He hit only .213 in 22 games for the Voyagers for an overall season batting average of .295 - a solid first pro season for the guy who looks to improve on those numbers once the minor leagues get started in 2021.

Gonzalez is not yet on the team’s 30 top prospects list, but with only 1 catcher in that field, Ivan needs another solid minor league season to get his name in there with the others. He will likely start the 2021 season with the Low-A Kannapolis Cannon Ballers or the High-A Winston-Salem Dash. 

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