Red Sox 6'6'' Slugger Turns Heads With Blistering 117MPH Hit

The Boston Red Sox have a bright future, to say the least.

Apr 29, 2021; Arlington, Texas, USA; A view of the Boston Red Sox logo and a field bag during batting practice before the game between the Texas Rangers and the Boston Red Sox at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

One of the best parts about Spring Training is the fact that some of the top prospects in the game get to show what they can do. For the Boston Red Sox, one intriguing guy to follow in Spring Training so far has been young slugger Justin Gonzales.

Gonzales is just 19 years old, but is the club's No. 6 overall prospect and has said this offseason that his goal is to be like New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge, as transcribed by Alex Speier of The Boston Globe.

"Aaron Judge,” Gonzales said of what his goals are. “I make a ton of contact, hit the ball hard, have a good arm, I can play defense. The goal is to be like Aaron Judge.”

Well, on Monday, he hit a ball like the Yankees superstar. Gonzales ripped a single that left the bat at 117.3 miles per hour. No, you did not read that wrong.

What a day for the slugger

May 26, 2025; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; General view of a Boston Red Sox hat during warmups prior the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

Justin Gonzales: 117.3 mph single 🔥

The 19-year-old @RedSox prospect logs the second hardest-hit ball of spring with his first Grapefruit League knock. pic.twitter.com/ysDinahPI5

— MLB Pipeline (@MLBPipeline) March 2, 2026

Ian Cundall of SoxProspects.com shared that Gonzales' single was the fifth-hardest hit ball by a member of the organization in the Statcast era.

"Red Sox OF Justin Gonzales lined a 117.3 mph exit velocity single in today’s game Toronto. His max exit velocity in 2025 was 113.1 mph," Cundall wrote. "His single today was the 5th hardest batted ball by a Red Sox batter ever recorded by statcast, spring, reg season, or postseason."

Red Sox manager Alex Cora had the perfect response afterward, as transcribed by Tim Healey of The Boston Globe.

“Lucky for him, he’s playing baseball. He was born in the Dominican," Cora said. "If not, he’d be playing tight end for somebody.”

Alex Cora on Red Sox prospect Justin Gonzales (6-6, 277): “Lucky for him, he’s playing baseball. He was born in the Dominican. If not, he’d be playing tight end for somebody.” https://t.co/2IMB9xTRtr

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) March 2, 2026

This kid is just 19 years old. Imagine what he's going to look like in a few years with more professional baseball experience under his belt? The Red Sox are already loaded in the outfield, but it's hard not to think about the future as well. He's has significant power potential and has gotten some looks in Spring Training so far already. It looks like Boston has another high-end prospect for the fanbase to be fired up about.