Royals’ Asbel Gonzalez Makes Fast Transition To Low-A
The jump from the complex leagues to Low-A is one of the biggest transitions in professional baseball, especially for young players from another culture.
That wasn’t an issue for 19-year-old Venezuelan outfielder Asbel Gonzalez at Low-A Columbia this spring.
He stole 30 bases in 36 tries in April to lead all minor leaguers, while batting .398/.510/.422 in 22 games. He slashed his strikeout rate to about 7%, down from 20% last year in the Arizona Complex League.
Royals farm director Mitch Maier credits Gonzalez for the significant improvement.
“He’s always had good bat-to-ball skills and understood the strike zone,” Maier said. “Going there (Columbia) to start the season, he’s continued to grow and progress and show those abilities.”
Gonzalez’s on-base ability is amplified by what he does after he reaches. Using his plus speed and advanced baserunning instincts, he already had stolen more bases in one month this season than he did in the ACL last year or Dominican Summer League in 2023.
Chandler Simpson stole 104 bases in the minors last year and Victor Scott II swiped 94 the year before that. Neither had 30 steals by May 1—or was particularly close.
Billy Hamilton set the single-season minor league stolen base standard with 155 in 2012. He had 29 at the end of April.
What hasn’t developed yet for Gonzalez is power. He had only one extra-base hit in April.
“He’s going to get stronger,” Maier said. “He does have some thump in the bat. It’s just right now he’s trying to be the player he is right now—hitting line drives . . .
“As he gets stronger and gets more repetitions under his belt at higher levels, he’ll eventually drive the baseball a little more.“
If he adds strength to his lean, 6-foot-2 frame as he matures, Gonzalez could become an ideal table-setter.
Gonzalez projects to stay in center field, where his defense grades as plus. His makeup also will help as he moves through the Royals’ system.
“He’s a driven individual,” Maier said. “He goes about it the right way. He plays fearless and he’s a very instinctual player.”
ROYALTIES
— Another Royals international prospect who signed in 2023 has that special look on the field. Daniel Lopez, who signed for $497,500 out of the Dominican Republic, spent two years in the Dominican Summer League before heading to the Arizona Complex League this spring.
Lopez shows many of the same physical attributes as Gonzalez. The lefthanded hitter batted a combined .289/.388/.446 in his two DSL seasons.
“He had a great spring,” Maier said. “It didn’t matter what game he was playing or who he was facing, he had really good at-bats . . . he has a really good knack to hit.”
