The Royals signed Asbel Gonzalez as part of their 2023 international signing class. Tony Ruiz was the headliner of the signing class but Gonzalez and Ramon Ramirez — not Ruiz — have been the ones making the most noise thus far. Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs ranks Gonzalez the number nine prospect in the organization, calling him a “Goldilocks Zone” prospect up the middle. The tools are certainly there, but to this point, it’s been solely projection-based as Gonzalez is yet to debut stateside.

Season Stats:

2023 (DSL Blue): .196/.339/.275, 11.1% BB%, 20.6% K%, 80 wrC+

2023 (DSL GOld): .272/.364/.413, 10.9% BB%, 11.8% K%, 108 wrC+

Gonzalez has a bevy of tools at his disposal. His 6-2 frame gives him room to build muscle and add power. He’s shown an advanced approach at the plate for a 17-year-old. That power potential and approach at the plate are anchored by the sound defense in center field and good speed. The sample size was so small in 2023 so it’s difficult to take much away. Gonzalez looked like a blossoming prospect for DSL Royals Gold but struggled in a similar sample (15G) for Royals Blue.

As with any international prospect this young, it’s difficult to put any true stock in their abilities at this point. Most of the projection is built on potential rather than what we actually see in the box score. Gonzalez looks like a safe bet to become an average contact hitter with below-average power. A good glove will help him carry some value but the likelihood that he becomes a defensive-oriented fourth outfielder seems just as likely as the chance he becomes a regular.

Scouting Grades:

Hit: 40/50

Game Power: 30/40

Raw Power: 35/45

Speed: 50/60

Glove: 45/55

Arm: 40/50

Best Case Scenario

If it all comes together for Gonzalez, there’s a path to a Manuel Margot-type player here. For much of his career thus far, Margot has been a slightly below-average hitter with excellent defensive value. Gonzalez can reach a similar level. This scenario would require him to develop enough power to matter, but his ceiling will probably end up around a .150 ISO. There’s a ton to dream about with Gonzalez, and the tools are a good match for what the Royals look for on their roster.

Worst Case Scenario

As an international prospect — a 17-year-old one at that — the worst-case scenario is understandably very bad. The range of outcomes here remains vast. If Gonzalez can’t develop power and his poor contact ability that showed up for Royals Blue becomes more his true self, there simply isn’t offensive value here to carry him to the major leagues. He only hit .196 in 15 games for Blue, much worse than his .272 mark over 23 games for Gold. With such up and down results in the DSL, it’s very likely that he struggles after reaching Low-A for the first time.