Stephen Gonsalves/Jay Biggerstaff (USA Today)
On Monday, the Mets claimed left-handed pitcher Stephen Gonsalves off waivers from the Minnesota Twins.
Gonsalves, 25, was considered one of the top draft-eligible left-handers in the country, coming out of Cathedral High School in San Diego, in 2013. A suspension during his senior season for off-the-field related conduct scared some teams away, but the Twins went above-slot to nab the lefty in the fourth round.
Gonsalves has reached Baseball America’s top 100 prospect rankings twice, ranking as baseball’s 99th best prospect after the 2016 season and 97th after the 2017 season.
The 6’5” left-hander made a rapid ascension through the Twins’ system, thanks in large part to a solid three-pitch mix made up of a fastball that sits 88-91 with glove-side run, an average curveball that sits in the low-to-mid 70s, and a strong, 60-grade changeup with plus-sinking movement, his best offering.
Gonsalves was nothing short of dominant as a minor leaguer, with a 53-22 lifetime record in the minors and an ERA of just 2.50. Outside of an injury-plagued 2019, the highest ERA he had posted in any full season was 3.27 in 2017. Marks below three were the norm for the left-hander.
With good presence on the mound because of his size and a deceptive three-quarter arm slot, Gonsalves kept the baseball off the barrel by eliciting weak contact while also striking out more than a batter per inning over his entire minor league career.
His rise towards the big-league level was slowed by a shoulder strain that cost him the early part of the 2017 season. But the lefty was still solid enough to make his debut in Minnesota in 2018. He was hit around a bit, allowing 18 earned runs in 24 2/3 innings with a striking 22 walks allowed. That’s good for a WHIP north of two in his seven appearances.
Gonsalves’ story for the Twins over the last few seasons has been marked by two major themes, one of them is walks, while the other is injuries. His lifetime BB/9 in the minors is 3.6, but that includes some seasons that peaked closer to 5 BB/9. Without overpowering stuff, it is tough to get big league hitters out when you can’t keep the ball in the strike zone.
His shoulder injuries have made him look more like a prototypical touch-and-feel left-hander who works in the upper 80s with his fastball. Mechanical adjustments to find his old velocity may have exacerbated his command issues, but Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson allegedly worked hard with Gonsalves last spring to streamline his mechanics and strengthen his lower half so that he could stay consistently in the 90 MPH range and keep the ball in the strike zone.
Another arm injury cost Gonsalves most of his 2019, so any improvements were not easily seen. He threw just 13 innings in 2019. After missing most of the season, he would pitch return to the mound in late August showing off a fastball that was up to 93 mph.
If Gonsalves can prove himself healthy and limit the walks, he should be an interesting addition to the Mets’ limited stockpile of starting pitching depth. He may have a higher ceiling than someone like Walker Lockett, but Gonsalves is still yet to prove he can get outs or throw strikes consistently in the majors.
At the moment, this is a pure depth move for the Mets. However, if Gonsalves can stay on the mound and limit baserunners, his advanced feel for his changeup and ability to keep the ball off the barrel of the bat could make him a weapon as an innings-eater or spot starter.
MLB Pipeline has inserted Gonsalves in as the Mets’ 23rd ranked prospect.
