Jess said he realized around seventh grade that his son was able to play at least at the Division I level. Gonzalez was always tall and lanky growing up. Along the way, Gonzalez continued to tweak his swing to find areas of comfort.
“A lot of times he didn't even know I was coaching him. I just turned it into a game,” Jess said. “I'd be putting him in positions like, ‘Hey, do this, do this, do this.’ And to him it was just fun growing up. And to me, it was like, ‘OK, you got to be able to hit a ball the other way.’”
As the son of a coach, Gonzalez was ready from the beginning once he reached Ole Miss. Rebels head coach Mike Bianco said it was apparent from when Gonzalez stepped on campus that he was going to contribute quickly. Hitting coach Mike Clement felt that after watching Gonzalez for two weeks in the fall, the coaching staff knew they had their shortstop for the next three years.
When recruiting Gonzalez to Ole Miss, Clement said he saw the hit tool to all fields but not much power. When he jumped into SEC action, Gonzalez’s power was unleashed, with 40 homers in three seasons. As Gonzalez helped the Rebels to a national title as a sophomore, Bianco saw him be unafraid to try different things at the plate.
“He wanted to be coached, and so he certainly had some set ideas of what he was and what it was going to take for him to be good, and the foundation of that certainly came from Jess,” Bianco said.
Jess’s iPad is filled with video of left-handed hitters, as he enjoys breaking down hitters across all levels. He pointed out Alek Thomas to Gonzalez, and hopes his son emulates Ketel Marte’s ability to stand close to the plate.
Jess sees Gonzalez getting better swings more consistently already in 2026. To him, that’s the key to any success going forward.
“His attack angle is better, and so he's created more leverage, and is in a better position to hit,” Jess said. “What I've been saying, especially this year, I go, ‘Hey, whatever you do, just make sure you get off a good swing.’”
