What kind of pitcher is Gonzalez? His new teammates give a scouting report

Miguel Gonzalez will make his Texas Rangers debut Tuesday, five days after being acquired from the Chicago White Sox and after he started and logged six innings against the Minnesota Twins.

He’s no stranger to the Rangers, who have seen him pitch in the American League since 2012. He beat them Aug. 20, tossing six scoreless innings at Globe Life Park as part of a stretch that has seen him go 3-2 with a 3.11 ERA in nine second-half starts.

So, just what kind of pitcher is he anyway? A few of his new teammates offered a scouting report.

“For me, he’s a smart pitcher,” shortstop Elvis Andrus said. “He’s a guy that I’ve faced quite a few times, and he never throws the same. He always finds a way to keep you out of balance, and he trusts every pitch that he has. The worst days [for a hitter] are the days that he commands his fastball.”

Andrus is a .313 hitter (5 for 16) against Gonzalez, though with no extra-base hits. Mike Napoli has faced Gonzalez the most, going 8 for 26 (.308) with no home runs.

Shin-Soo Choo had the best average among Rangers players who have faced Gonzalez, batting .364 (4 for 11) with a homer. He echoed what Andrus said about Gonzalez’s knack for keeping hitters of balance and using all of his pitches.

“He’s not an easy pitcher,” Choo said. “He’s not really an overpowering pitcher, but he knows how to get out hitters. In and out. Good mechanics. The ball moves. You don’t know what is coming. He can throw anything in any count.”

This story was originally published September 4, 2017 at 6:16 PM with the headline "What kind of pitcher is Gonzalez? His new teammates give a scouting report."