If you haven't heard of Boston Red Sox prospect Justin Gonzales, prepare for that to change...
Gonzales, 19, has exploded onto the seen over the last two years and is currently rated as the organization's No. 7 prospect, according to SoxProspects. The Red Sox have quickly moved him through the system, with the teenager slashing 320/.391/.517 in the Dominican Summer League in 2024 before combining to slash .281/.363/.390 across the Florida Complex League, Single-A Salem and High-A Greenville in 2025.
Not bad!
Gonzales feels like he's just getting started, however, as his three-inch growth spurt since last year helped produce quite the self-comparison.
"Aaron Judge,” Gonzales said via translator, as shared by The Boston Globe's Alex Speier. "I make a ton of contact, hit the ball hard, have a good arm, I can play defense. The goal is to be like Aaron Judge."
It'll take a near-impossible rise to ever reach the level of the three-time American League MVP, but there are some physical similarities between Gonzales (6-foot-6, 277 pounds) and Judge (6-foot-7, 282 pounds), as both hit the ball extremely hard and have incredible arms that make them plus-defenders in the outfield.
If the youngster can start hitting the ball in the air, improve his range and continue to control the strike zone, perhaps there will be more to that comparison than just self-confidence.
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