Jordan HammJacob Gonzalez has been one of the top prep baseball players in the state and country over the past few years.
The Chaparral corner infielder is a career .429 hitter with 19 home runs and 118 RBIs in three season with the Firebirds. With T-Rex Baseball, he was a Perfect Game champion and was a Perfect Game All-American Classic in Petco Park in San Diego.
Monday, Gonzalez, a commit to TCU, took the next step in his journey and was selected 58th overall by the San Francisco Giants.
Congrats to @Jakegonzo10 on being selected 58th overall in the 2017 #MLBDRAFT by the @SFGiants. pic.twitter.com/90LoIms5bA
— AZ T-Rex (@TrexBBC) June 13, 2017
Gonzalez’s father is Diamondbacks legend Luis Gonzalez, who had playing measurables of 6-foot-2 and 180 pounds and is overshadowed by his son, who stands at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds.
“He continues to grow and get stronger each and every year,” Luis told Sports360AZ. “Guys are bigger and stronger now in the major leagues that continue to go up and put up some astonishing numbers, so I think the sky is the limit for this kid.”
Luis, who was a fourth round selection by the Houston Astros in 1988, gave this advice to his son moving forward.
“I told him last night there’s going to be doubters and you use those doubters as motivation. I played for 18 years and I can’t you how many times I heard people say,’He can’t play he can’t hit he can’t field,’ and when the manager writes the lineup up, you’re in it,” Gonzalez said. “So you got to be doing something right and people have to believe in you. He has that confidence and he knows that if he works hard and puts the time in to get better each and every day, he’s going to be able to succeed.”
Now comes the question as to whether Jacob Gonzalez goes to TCU and pursues a pro career immediately.
“(TCU has) been a wonderful support system, and what a great organization and university that they have there,” Gonzalez said. “Right now he is going to explore his options…if I was a betting man, I would say he’s leaning right now to starting his professional career. He feels like he’s ready, he’s 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. He’s a big kid and he’s excited about getting to that next level and starting his professional career.”
