When left-hander Brian Gonzalez returned home from his first full professional season sporting a 5.71 ERA on his ledger from a season with the Low-A Delmarva Shorebirds, he did so feeling the mental and physical effects of a full season.
A third-round draft pick in 2014 yet still the Orioles’ top selection in that draft class, he knew what his full-season debut meant for everyone involved.
“I understood what happened during the season was a disappointment, obviously, for the organization, but personally for myself,” Gonzalez said. “I put really high expectations on myself, and to go through that, honestly, it was good and bad.