Gabriel Gonzalez Reveals What Twins Asked Him to Work On This Winter

Outfielder Gabriel Gonzalez is off to one of the best starts in the Venezuelan winter league, and the Minnesota Twins gave him a clear list of things to work on before he left. Gonzalez is hitting .410 with a 1.202 OPS in 20 games for Caribes de Anzoátegui, and he is tied for the league lead with six home runs.

The 22-year-old also ranks second in the league in both batting average and RBIs with 22, and he went 2-for-4 with two home runs and three RBIs against Águilas del Zulia on Wednesday, even though Caribes lost that game 6-4.

Two postponed games have kept him off the field since that night.

This hot start comes after a busy 2026 in which Gonzalez made his major league debut on May 22 against the Red Sox and went 2-for-8 in seven games with Minnesota, while spending most of the year at Triple-A St. Paul, where he hit .255 with 16 home runs and 55 RBIs in 114 games.

The Twins got him from Seattle in the January 2024 trade that sent shortstop Jorge Polanco to the Mariners, and they added him to the 40-man roster in November 2025.

In an interview with Eduardo Chapellin of Líder en Deportes in late October, Gonzalez explained what the Twins sent him home to improve.

"Las recomendaciones que traje desde Minnesota son mejorar mi defensa en los jardines y aprender a jugar mejor en la inicial, donde entreno a diario con David Davalillo (coach); y en los jardines trabajo con Jackson Melián (coach)," Gonzalez said.

In English, he said the Twins want him to get better on defense in the outfield and get better at first base, where he trains every day with coach David Davalillo, while he works in the outfield with coach Jackson Melián.

He also told the outlet that the team asked him a lot to be more selective at the plate, and he thanked shortstop Orlando Arcia for helping him when he first got to the big leagues.

The first base part stands out to me, because MLB.com's Matthew Leach wrote on Thursday that the Twins have a crowded outfield with more starting-caliber players than spots, and he named first base as one of the few places the team could add an impact bat.

First baseman Royce Lewis would be the main option there as of now, after the Twins moved on from designated hitter Josh Bell when his mutual option was declined.

That gives Gonzalez a real path, since a hitter who can handle first base and keep hitting like this becomes a much easier player to fit on a roster that went 77-85 and finished third in the American League Central.

I like that the Twins gave him a specific plan instead of just sending him home to play.

They can still look outside the organization for a first baseman, but Gonzalez is making his own case one swing at a time, and his next scheduled game is Sunday against Bravos de Margarita.