Twins prospect Gabriel Gonzalez, just 21 years old, is on fire at Triple-A
The Twins’ January 2024 trade of infielder Jorge Polanco to the Seattle Mariners could end up paying off for both teams. Polanco is having a solid second season in Seattle; he’s hit 21 home runs for a Mariners team that currently holds the final wild card spot in the American League. And while the Twins got nothing from Anthony DeSclafani and haven’t gotten much from Justin Topa, the prize of their return — an outfield prospect named Gabriel Gonzalez — has had a heck of a 2025 season.
Gonzalez, who turned 21 years old last winter, began this season with High-A Cedar Rapids. After raking there for 34 games, he was promoted to Double-A Wichita in May. His numbers were even more impressive with the Wind Surge, so after 55 games, he was promoted to Triple-A St. Paul a month ago. And despite being one of the younger players in Triple-A, Gonzalez is holding his own at that level. He got off to a slow start but has been on fire lately for the Saints.
Gonzalez homered on Friday night in Toledo. It was his second straight game with a homer and his third over the past four games. He’s hitting .370 since August 17, raising his Triple-A OPS from .612 to .812 in just seven contests. The recent promotion of 20-year-old top prospect Walker Jenkins to St. Paul has understandably gotten plenty of attention, but it’s been Gonzalez who has led the way for the Saints during their current series against the Mud Hens.
For the season, across three levels, Gonzalez has hit .325 with 13 homers, 33 doubles, seven stolen bases, and a .907 OPS in 108 games. His strikeout rate is just over 13 percent and he’s also walked at a decent clip (roughly 9 percent of his PAs). He leads the Twins’ organization with 137 hits, a number that is currently tied for seventh-most in all of minor league baseball this year. Gonzalez has done nothing but produce at the plate this season.
MLB Pipeline and ESPN both currently rank Gonzalez as the No. 10 prospect in the Twins’ organization, but he’s making the case that he should be higher on those lists (and perhaps a top-100 prospect in the sport). Gonzalez may not have the same raw upside as fellow outfielder Emmanuel Rodriguez, the Twins’ No. 4 prospect, but availability is important. While Gonzalez has played in 108 games this year, the injury-prone Rodriguez has only played in 53 due to multiple IL stints.
Gonzalez figures to begin next year in St. Paul, but if he keeps hitting, he’ll have a good chance to make his MLB debut next season at 22 years old. With Jenkins, Rodriguez, and Gonzalez in line to join Byron Buxton and Matt Wallner in the next year or so, the future of the Twins’ outfield looks bright.
