An interview with Orioles top draft pick Brian Gonzalez

The Orioles had to wait a while to make a pick in this year's First-Year Player Draft and went with a high school pitcher with their first pick. Now, they'll likely have to wait a while to see if pitcher Brian Gonzalez can make the major leagues. The O's took the prep lefty with the 16th pick of round No. 3, which was the 90th overall selection. This was the second year in a row and fifth time in six years the O's first pick was a high school player. The 6-foot-1, 230-pound Gonzalez went 10-0 with a 0.50 ERA and 129 strikeouts, and pitched two no-hitters for Florida powerhouse Archbishop McCarthy in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. In a phone interview tonight, it's clear that Gonzalez, who won't turn 19 until Oct. 25, is an articulate young man. He said he is a fastball-changeup combination pitcher who pitched from 89-to-91 mph with his velocity touching 92 this spring. He also throws a curveball, but his changeup is his best secondary pitch. Gonzalez has a college commitment to the University of Miami. The slot amount for the No. 90 overall pick is $594,200. While choosing his words carefully when asked about his signability, he sounded like a kid that can't wait to get his pro career started when the business part of negotiating a signing bonus with the club is over. "Right now, I'll talk with my parents, sit down and see where I'm at," Gonzalez said. "Playing Major League Baseball is one of my dreams and playing at the University of Miami was another dream, growing up in the Miami area. We'll come to the best decision for me. "I think we have an understanding that, if the Orioles give me a great opportunity, it's going to be hard for me to pass up that opportunity. If the opportunity is there, it will be hard to pass it up. "This is the most exciting day of my life to be honest. Obviously it's stressful and there is a lot going on but it's been really exciting. I've been anxious, worried, nervous today but mostly excited I would say." Gonzalez said he heard he might be drafted anywhere between the third and fifth rounds. "Just being drafted is something to be blessed about," he said. "It's always been a dream of mine. To be selected third round and as the Orioles first pick is something I can't explain. "I was in shock, fumbling my words when I first found out. It's truly a blessing and an honor. I am going to make sure I go there and do everything I can to move up the system and help the Orioles win a championship." Gonzalez said his dad Albert did not let him throw a curveball when he was younger. As a result, he is that rare high school kid that has a decent changeup. He also feels he will gain some velocity as he gets into pro ball. "My dad didn't let me throw a curveball until I was in high school, so been developing my changeup and having a feel for that ever since I was 11 or 12," he said. "He's really the one that showed me you have to have another pitch. "I believe that I will get leaner and maybe grow one more inch by the time I'm 21, 22. Just becoming a man and working at it. Get a body where hopefully I can throw consistently in the low 90s, touching the mid 90s. That is my goal." He describes himself as a pitcher, not just a thrower, and felt the O's were intrigued by that. "The Orioles really liked my pitchability," Gonzalez said. "I'm not just going to go out there and throw the ball. I'll hit my spots and make pitches I know I can make. That is really what they like about me, my pitchability and my size. I'm a durable guy and can go six, seven and eight (innings) and maintain my velocity." Gonzalez said he had some top-level instruction as he came to develop that pitchability. Former major league pitcher Alex Fernandez heads up the baseball operations for his high school team. "He's really the one that got me into pounding the strike zone and moving the ball in and out," he said. "When to throw pitches in what counts. He got into the big pitchability that most scouts like. He's a big reason I've been able to do well." So you can probably tell, this young man is excited about the chance to be an Oriole and make the majors. This is the fourth time in six years the O's first pick was a high school pitcher. Matt Hobgood in 2009, Dylan Bundy in 2011, Hunter Harvey in 2013 and Gonzalez in 2014. The others were first-round picks, of course. But Gonzalez was thrilled to be a third round pick and he's had quite a day. "It's been awesome, unreal. Family and friends calling me and blowing up my phone congratulating me," he said. "It's truly an honor and blessing to be picked by the Baltimore Orioles. I can't wait for the opportunity to get out there and start playing."