This article delves into the career and legacy of Carlos González, one of the intriguing candidates for the BBWAA 2025 Hall of Fame ballot. To gain deeper insights into this year’s ballot and other notable candidates, utilize the tool provided above. For a comprehensive overview of the JAWS metric, click here. If you are interested in the tentative schedule, please refer to this link. All WAR figures cited in this piece are based on the Baseball Reference version unless specified otherwise.

While Carlos González may not find himself enshrined in Cooperstown alongside legends like Larry Walker and Todd Helton, his impact on the Colorado Rockies franchise is undeniable. As a pivotal figure who participated in three postseason runs for the Rockies, González served as a vital link between the celebrated eras of Helton and Tulowitzki and the more recent successes marked by Nolan Arenado. His journey in Major League Baseball began with the 2009 Rockies, who turned their season around to secure a Wild Card spot, showcasing González’s resilience and talent. Even towards the twilight of his career, he continued to play a significant role in the franchise’s postseason aspirations during the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Over his career, “CarGo” earned three All-Star selections, three Gold Glove awards, and captured a batting title, finishing third in the 2010 NL MVP race. However, injuries plagued his career, limiting him to over 140 games in just three of his twelve seasons.

Carlos Eduardo González was born on October 17, 1985, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, to Euro, an auto mechanic, and Lucila, who worked in the insurance industry. While Euro had a casual interest in baseball, it was his eldest son, Euro Jr., who dominated the local street games. Euro Jr. didn’t start playing organized baseball until the age of twelve, missing out on fully utilizing his raw talent. However, he played a significant role in nurturing Carlos’s passion for the game. At the tender age of five, Euro Jr. helped Carlos join a Little League team, immersing him in Venezuela’s extensive state-run youth baseball program. Euro Jr. even worked tirelessly to help Carlos acquire a glove and baseball shoes, laying the foundation for his future success.

From an early age, Carlos showed an unyielding passion for baseball, often sneaking into relatives’ kitchens and closets to repurpose broom handles as makeshift bats. “I would find the broom and unscrew it so I had a bat to hit stuff with,” he shared with the Denver Post‘s Troy Renck in 2013. He had little interest in conventional toys, preferring to toss them in the air and hit them, channeling his early enthusiasm for the sport. This creativity and determination laid the groundwork for his future as a formidable player.

It wasn’t long before González found himself competing against older boys, emulating the left-handed batting stance of fellow Venezuelan Bobby Abreu. According to Renck, González was “the kid that hit home runs nearly every at-bat when he was eight, dropping jaws with moon shots as a teenager.” At just twelve years old, he hit a spectacular homer off future major leaguer Félix Hernández during a pivotal game. His remarkable talent caught the attention of scouts during the 2001 Senior League World Series, where he played against future stars like Tulowitzki and Tyler Clippard. Impressed by his performance, agent Jose Ortega offered to house and train González in Tampa, Florida, preparing him for a major league contract when he turned sixteen. With his parents’ approval, he left school just before graduation, moving to Tampa to train alongside five other Venezuelan players, including future major leaguer Alberto Gonzalez (no relation). On August 3, 2002, he signed a contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.

González honed his skills during five seasons in the Diamondbacks’ farm system, achieving in-season promotions three times. In 2005, he was named the Midwest League MVP, posting impressive stats with a .307/.371/.489 line, 18 home runs, and 92 RBIs. The following spring, he earned a spot on the Baseball America Top 100 Prospects list, ranking 32nd, and peaked at 18th in 2007. As he progressed, scouts and managers compared him to stars like Abreu and Carlos Beltrán. After a strong 2007 season in which he hit .288/.336/.478 with 17 homers and 10 steals, the Diamondbacks, facing a crowded outfield, traded him to the Oakland Athletics in November as part of a six-player deal for pitchers Dan Haren and Connor Robertson.

The Athletics, fresh off winning the AL West in 2006, were in the midst of a rebuild. They were active during the 2007 trade deadline, dealing away key players like Nick Swisher and Mark Kotsay. Entering the 2008 season, González was ranked 22nd on BA’s Top 100 Prospects list; the publication praised his physical attributes but raised concerns about his attitude:

“He has tremendous bat speed, with a pure easiness to his swing that generates plus raw power to all fields… A prototype right fielder, he has an above-average arm and enough speed to play in center field if needed…

“Scouts and managers often have been turned off by González’ approach to the game, accusing him of giving away at-bats or not hustling at times. The Diamondbacks have addressed this concern in the past, asserting it’s a case of immaturity and lack of focus rather than bad makeup. They describe him as a bright, outgoing individual who aspires to be a star.”

González began the 2008 season at Triple-A Sacramento, where he posted a solid .283/.344/.416 line over 46 games before receiving a call-up to the major leagues in late May. He made his debut on May 30, doubling twice against the Rangers’ Kevin Millwood and driving in Oakland’s only run in a 3-1 defeat. By June 20, he recorded his first home run, a solo shot off the Marlins’ Mark Hendrickson. Although he served as the team’s regular center fielder, he struggled offensively, finishing the season with a .242/.273/.361 line (71 OPS+). Following a brief stint in the majors, he was optioned back to Sacramento, where he shined in the Pacific Coast League playoffs, sharing Postseason MVP honors with Chris Denorfia and helping the River Cats clinch the PCL Championship.

In November, González was traded once again, this time to the Colorado Rockies, alongside pitchers Greg Smith (also part of the Haren deal) and Huston Street in exchange for Matt Holliday. The Rockies initially assigned him to Triple-A Colorado Springs, where he thrived, hitting .339/.418/.630 with 10 home runs in just 48 games. He was called up in early June, joining a Rockies team that had started the season poorly at 18-28, prompting the firing of manager Clint Hurdle. González’s arrival coincided with the promotion of bench coach Jim Tracy to manager. Playing primarily against right-handed pitchers and spending time in left field, he produced a commendable .284/.353/.525 line (118 OPS+) with 13 homers and 16 steals across 89 games. Under Tracy’s leadership, the Rockies turned their season around to secure a Wild Card spot. In the Division Series, González tormented Phillies pitching, racking up multiple hits in all four games played. Over the series, he went 10-for-17 with two doubles and a home run, contributing to five runs scored, although his lone series RBI came in a Game 3 loss.

2010 marked a breakout season for González, highlighted by a stellar 4-for-5 performance on Opening Day against the Brewers. He finished the year with an impressive .336/.376/.598 line (143 OPS+), belting 34 home runs and stealing 26 bases. During July and August, he dominated, slugging over .700 and hitting 17 homers in just those two months. Notably, he hit for the cycle against the Cubs on July 31, ending the game with a walk-off two-run homer; this achievement was his second consecutive four-hit game and fourth in a row with a home run.

González not only captured the NL batting title, edging out Joey Votto, but he also led the league with 197 hits and 351 total bases. He ranked second in slugging percentage and sixth in both OPS+ and WAR (5.9). Votto received 31 out of 32 first-place votes in the NL MVP race, with Albert Pujols claiming the other. González finished third in the voting and secured his first Gold Glove award, although advanced metrics indicated he was only two runs above average via Defensive Runs Saved (DRS). Unfortunately, despite his remarkable performance, the Rockies failed to return to the playoffs, finishing third in the NL West with an 83-79 record.

Recognizing his potential as a cornerstone alongside Tulowitzki, the Rockies negotiated a seven-year, $80 million contract extension with González in January 2011. Although he didn’t replicate his previous year’s success, he still posted a solid .295/.363/.526 line (125 OPS+) with 26 home runs and a 4.3 WAR. However, his season was marred by injury after crashing into the center field wall at Coors Field on July 3, leading to a right wrist injury that ultimately required a brief stint on the disabled list. Despite returning quickly, he struggled with lingering effects from a deep bone bruise, causing him to miss out for the remainder of the season.

González earned All-Star selections in both 2012 and 2013, along with Gold Gloves in each of those years. While the offensive statistics from both seasons appeared similar, with a slight power increase in 2013 — .303/.371/.510, 122 OPS+ with 22 homers in 2012; and .302/.367/.590, 144 OPS+ with 26 homers in 2013 — his defensive metrics fluctuated. He recorded a -13 DRS in 2012, his first full season as a left fielder, but rebounded to 11 DRS in 2013. Consequently, his WAR varied from 1.6 to 5.1, with the latter achieved in just 110 games due to a sprained ligament in his right middle finger, which he aggravated multiple times throughout the season.

Regrettably, the Rockies as a franchise began to decline as well. After finishing at 73-89 in 2011, they plummeted to 64-98 in 2012, setting a franchise record for losses that would stand until 2023. They managed a slight improvement in 2013, finishing at 74-88, only to fall back to 66-96 in 2014, a season plagued by injuries for González. Suffering from tendinitis in his left knee, he played just 70 games, finishing with an 88 OPS+ and a -0.5 WAR. After undergoing surgery to remove a benign tumor from his left index finger, he required season-ending surgery to repair his left patellar tendon in mid-August. This development came shortly after the Rockies lost Tulowitzki to his own season-ending surgery for a torn hip labrum.

Like many players, González faced the unique challenges of recovering from injuries while playing at altitude. As he expressed to the Denver Post‘s Nick Groke:

“I still have that fire, that passion,” González said. “But it’s limited. I show up the first game and go 3-for-5 with a home run, and I extend a single into a double. And then the next day, I feel like I got hit by a bus.”

… “It’s hard to play that way when you go out there and feel like, ‘I can’t move today. I just hope nobody hits the ball where I’m playing right now.’ When your body gets stressed, your mental part gets affected too.”

Upon his return to action in 2015, González transitioned to right field as part of an outfield shuffle, with Charlie Blackmon taking over in center. He remained healthy, achieving career highs with 153 games played and 40 home runs (ranking third in the league). However, he became less patient at the plate, often chasing pitches outside the strike zone. His final line of .271/.325/.540 translated to a 116 OPS+, and with average defense in right field, his 2.6 WAR was solid but not exceptional. In 2016, he continued to show flashes of his former brilliance, hitting 25 homers with a .298/.350/.505 line (111 OPS+); he earned his first All-Star nod since 2013, but the Rockies finished the season with a mediocre 75-87 record, their best showing in three years.

As the Rockies found success, González’s performance began to falter, particularly against left-handed pitching. After posting a 109 weighted runs created plus (wRC+) against lefties from 2009–2013, his wRC+ dropped to 57 from 2014–2016. Despite this decline, the Rockies valued him enough to propose a three-year, $45 million extension in the spring of 2017 — the final year of his seven-year contract — but he declined the offer. The first half of 2017 was marked by a sleep disorder that significantly impacted his performance, culminating in a disappointing .262/.339/.423 line (86 OPS+) and -0.2 WAR overall. However, he rebounded with a stellar September, emerging as the team’s best hitter (.377/.484/.766 with six of his fourteen homers), helping the Rockies secure a Wild Card berth. In the Wild Card Game, he went 2-for-5 against the Diamondbacks, despite the team’s loss.

Despite having Scott Boras as his agent, González encountered a challenging free agent market. Several teams, including the Astros, Blue Jays, Orioles, Royals, and White Sox, expressed interest but did not extend any offers close to the deal he had previously turned down in the spring. Remaining optimistic about his prospects, he found himself unsigned as other players signed contracts. In late February, Nolan Arenado publicly advocated for González’s return, stating, “I think it would be safe to say that everyone here misses him, really badly… CarGo is a great player. I want him on my team.”

In early March, González finally signed a one-year deal worth $5 million, with an additional $3 million in incentives based on days spent on the roster. He met those incentives and performed slightly better than in 2017, finishing the season with a .276/.329/.467 line (99 OPS+) and 0.8 WAR, thanks to a strong performance in July that was not sustainable. He struggled in the postseason, going just 2-for-12; the Rockies won the NL Wild Card Game but were swept by the Brewers in the Division Series.

After hitting free agency again, González could not secure a major league deal. He instead settled for a minor league contract with the Cleveland Guardians in mid-March, starting the season with a few games at Triple-A Columbus before joining the big league club in April. He briefly played alongside current ballot-mate Hanley Ramirez, who was making his final major league appearance. Unfortunately, González struggled, appearing in only 30 games before being released in late May. He later signed with the Cubs in early June but was released again in July after just 15 games. Hoping to continue his career at 34, he signed another minor league contract with the Mariners in February 2020, but was released in late June as teams reopened camps following the pandemic shutdown. Ultimately, he did not sign another contract.

Throughout the Rockies’ 32-season history, they have experienced limited success, achieving a .500 record or better only nine times and making the playoffs just five times. While other players may have achieved more, González holds a significant place in the franchise’s narrative, serving as a revered reminder of the team’s better days and bridging two notable eras in its history.