He Has Played Baseball In Three Continents—Now He’s A Catcher At MDC
By Jose Tovar and Victor Gonzalez-Vaca
Juan Gonzalez’s baseball journey has taken him all across the world.
The five-foot-ten-inch catcher from Venezuela has played in World Cups and international tournaments in countries like Korea, Spain, Italy, and the Czech Republic in the past six years.
Now, Gonzalez, who graduated from Champagnat Catholic School in Hialeah in 2020, brings his experience to a Miami Dade College baseball team that features 13 new players and is 7-6 this season.
“Juan is a hard worker, good teammate, competitor, and a warrior who wants to be great,” said Shark’s Head Baseball Coach Adrian Morales. “He is 1 of 30. We need all 30 guys to be successful. Without him, there’s a link missing in the chain.”
Gonzalez was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on Feb. 20, 2001. He grew up in La Guaira, a port city 21 miles away from the capital. Gonzalez enjoyed basketball and soccer but gravitated toward baseball because his older brothers, Tito and Julian, played the sport.
When he was four years old, Gonzalez joined Criollitos de Venezuela, the country’s little league system, and quickly developed an interest in catching. To him, the position meant having a voice on the field while leading the team’s pitching staff.
“It always caught my attention because I maintain order and makes me one of the leaders on the baseball field,” he said. “Now I view it as a career.”
Gonzalez played at Criollitos for nine years before coming to the United States to play for Elev8 Academy in Delray Beach, Florida, from fall 2014 to spring 2015.
It was the first of many international experiences in his career.
That summer, Gonzalez traveled to Spain—a country known for soccer more than baseball—to play for the U-18 Spanish national team. He qualified for the squad based on his dual-citizenship because his grandparents were born in Spain.
As part of the Spanish national team, Gonzalez played in three U-18 European Championships. Between 2015-18, he played in the Czech Republic, Spain, and Italy.
But his best tournament was the U-18 Baseball World Cup in Korea in 2019. In eight games, Gonzalez posted a .323 batting average with nine RBI and four doubles.
In addition, Gonzalez also spent eight months with the Epy Guerrero Academy in the Dominican Republic in 2018. He was mentored by Patrick Guerrero, a Major League Baseball scout, who taught him the importance of effort and helped him improve his strength and consistency.
“It’s a bit hard over there, but when it comes to fulfilling a dream, any effort or sacrifice is made to move forward,” Gonzalez said.“There I became a much better and mature player.”
In October of 2018, he moved to Miami and started playing in recruitment tournaments with In The Big Inning Baseball Academy in Doral.
A few months later, fortune knocked on his door. Jorge Aguas—the head coach at Champagnat Catholic School—and former Major Leaguer Bobby Ramos saw him catch a bullpen session at Tamiami Park and offered him a spot with the Lions in February of 2019.
“[Aguas] saw me catching and I caught his attention,” Gonzalez said. “He watched me hit and told me they needed a fourth bat.”
Despite playing only eight games in his senior year with Champagnat due to the coronavirus pandemic, MDC’s assistant coach Bryan Morgado—who had seen him at the recruitment tournaments—asked him to join the Sharks last February.
Through six games with MDC, he has a .235 batting average and is battling for playing time with catchers Nicolas Patelli and David Pereira.
“He is a hard worker, good teammate and competitor,” Morales said. “The more people at games—the more eyes—the better he plays. He played for Spain’s junior national team so playing in front of large crowds is what he’s used to.”
Gonzalez sees baseball as his long-term career and hopes to play in the Major Leagues.
“[He’s] always going to come to the field with energy and a big smile, bringing good vibes,” said infielder Erick Orbeta. “He comes to the field ready to work day in and day out.”
