Alex Speier of The Boston Globe is a legend of Boston Red Sox writing. When he speaks, it's wise to listen. That should make Boston fans extremely happy, considering what he had to say about prospect Justin Gonzales.
Gonzales is a first base/outfield prospect for the Red Sox. He spent the 2024 season in the Dominican Summer League (DSL), where he put up impressive numbers. He slashed .320/.391/.517 with 11 doubles, four triples, and five home runs in 47 games. He only struck out 20 times compared to 19 walks. The postseason was even better, with a .444/.471/.519 slash line.
The numbers themselves are phenomenal. What makes him even more interesting is the size, though. Gonzales turned 18 in December. He's listed at 6'4", 210 lbs. That's a massive human being.
Speier appeared on the "Pesky Report" podcast. There, he was asked about the Boston prospect and immediately called him "fascinating." He talked about height being a problem for hitters and how it can lead to swing-and-miss complications. For Gonzales, though, he notes that it hasn't been an issue yet.
Alex Speier of The Boston Globe hypes up Red Sox prospect Justin Gonzales
Speier also talks about how the Red Sox are working on bat-path with Gonzales in the same way they did with Kristian Campbell. He notes that, like Campbell, Gonzales is big and strong and makes "good swing decisions." He feels if they can get Gonzales to hit the ball in the air more, there's something there.
Speier mentions that Gonzales will likely play primarily in the outfield this year, with some first base sprinkled in. Then came the most interesting nugget.
"He looked really, really good in spring training. There was an argument. There was at least a conversation about whether or not he looked so good that they could have him jump the FCL and go straight to Salem. That's pretty striking for someone who looks [physically] like he does because it's comical that he's head-and-shoulders [literally] taller than people," Speier said.
Speier was proven right on May 6. The Red Sox promoted Gonzales to Single-A after just one appearance in the FCL. He's batting just .176/.300/.206 in Salem so far, but he's only played nine games and has plenty more to give. The organization expects big things from him, and the excitement level should only go up after Speier's remarks.