Boston Red Sox prospect Justin Gonzales is built more like a tight end than a baseball player, and the baseball never stood a chance.
The 19-year-old outfielder, Boston’s third-ranked prospect and No. 82 on MLB’s Top 100, stands a towering 6-foot-5 and carries roughly 210 pounds of pure force. On Wednesday night in Greenville, that freakish frame completely obliterated a pitch.
Gonzales crushed a three-run home run, his 13th of the season, helping the High-A Drive roll to a 13-6 win over the Hub City Spartanburgers. The ball disappeared into the night as if it had somewhere better to be.
Gonzales took his time admiring the damage on a leisurely trip around the bases.
When he finally crossed the plate, catcher Cal Stark had a few choice words ready. Big mistake. Gonzales answered with an open-handed slap that sparked a full benches-clearing brawl.
Why would anyone want to fight a giant like that? Stark found out the hard way.
Gonzales was ejected for his part in the chaos, but the message landed louder than the home run itself. When a prospect this massive decides to destroy a baseball, the wisest move is simply to tip your cap and stay out of the way.
