Ole Miss All-American shortstop Jacob Gonzalez was selected by the Chicago White Sox with the No. 15 overall pick in the MLB Draft Sunday night.
Gonzalez, a three-year starter for the Rebels, came on to the college baseball scene hot in 2021, being named National Freshman of the Year by D1Baseball and second-team All-American by multiple outlets.
The Glendora, Calif., native’s production dipped during the 2022 regular season before picking up steam in the postseason and helping lead Ole Miss to the program’s first-ever national championship.
In 2023, Gonzalez returned to his normal self, hitting .327 from the plate with 10 home runs and 51 RBI. The left-handed hitter finished his college career with a .319 batting average, 40 home runs, and 158 RBI while being credited with only five errors over 186 games.
While many analysts had him projected as a top-10 pick, Gonzalez ends up with a club looking for another All-Star infielder to play alongside former East Central Community College standout Tim Anderson. With Golden Glove-caliber fielding abilities and the potential to hit 25-30 home runs on a yearly basis in the big leagues, Gonzalez could be just that.
Gonzalez becomes the eighth first-rounder and third-highest selection in Ole Miss history.
