Captain of the Week (6/24-6/29): Esteban González
EASTLAKE, Ohio – After each series this season, the Lake County Captains will spotlight a Captain of the Week, presented by Official League, showcasing a player and their strong performance over the previous week. For the week of June 24-29, Lake County is recognizing OF Esteban González as its 12th
EASTLAKE, Ohio – After each series this season, the Lake County Captains will spotlight a Captain of the Week, presented by Official League, showcasing a player and their strong performance over the previous week.
For the week of June 24-29, Lake County is recognizing OF Esteban González as its 12th Captain of the Week for the 2025 season.
From June 24-29, the 22-year-old led the Captains with three stolen bases and tied the team lead with three doubles, while ranking second among qualified Lake County hitters in batting average (.318), runs scored (five), and home runs (one, tied) this past week versus the West Michigan Whitecaps. He also ranked tied for third among qualified Captains hitters in total bases (13), slugging percentage (.591, third), and OPS (.951) during this span.
The left-handed hitter logged a pair of multi-hit games this past week, playing in all six of Lake County’s contests versus West Michigan.
On Wednesday, June 25, González went 2-for-3 at the plate with a run scored, an RBI, a walk, and a stolen base in a 9-6 Captains defeat. Then, on Sunday, June 29, he finished a triple shy of the first cycle in Lake County history, going 3-for-5 with two runs scored, a double, a home run, an RBI, and a stolen base in a 10-8 Captains defeat.
González batted .333 in 19 games played during the month of June, recording 23 hits, eight doubles, three home runs, 10 RBI, five stolen bases, a .580 slugging percentage, and a .957 OPS.
So far this season, González ranks second on Lake County in both hits (58) and doubles (15, tied). He also ranks top-five on the team in batting average (.272, third), slugging percentage (.451, fourth), home runs (seven, tied for fourth), extra-base hits (23, tied for fourth), OPS (.777, fifth), runs scored (30, fifth), RBI (26, tied for fifth), and stolen bases (nine, tied for fifth).
González was promoted to Lake County on July 22, 2024 from the Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats. At the time of his promotion, he ranked top-five in the Carolina League in runs scored (54, second), stolen bases (37, third), slugging percentage (.464, fourth), OPS (.812, tied for fourth), and triples (six, tied for fourth). The outfielder was eventually named a 2024 Carolina League All-Star for his performance with the Hillcats.
During the 2024 regular season, his leaping catch in center field on July 31 versus the Beloit Sky Carp was named the number two play on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays. Additionally, across Lake County and Single-A Lynchburg, he was one of just eight MiLB players with at least a .270 batting average, 35 extra-base hits, and 40 stolen bases.
González then played a critical role for the Captains’ 2024 Midwest League Championship team, starting in left field in three of Lake County’s five playoff games. In Game 2 of the 2024 Midwest League Championship Series versus the Wisconsin Timber Rattlers, his outfield assist ended the top of the fifth inning and prevented the tying run from scoring. The Captains eventually won the game 6-2, then won again 9-4 the following night to win the 2024 Midwest League Championship.
González was signed by Cleveland as an international free agent on July 2, 2019 out of Maracaibo, Venezuela. In 267 regular season games with the Guardians organization, he has batted .277 with 266 hits, 59 doubles, 16 triples, 21 home runs, 133 RBI, 85 stolen bases, and a .796 OPS across the Dominican Summer League Indians Red (2021), Arizona Complex League Guardians (2022-23), Single-A Lynchburg Hillcats (2024), and Lake County (2024-present).
González will look to continue his recent success this week, as the Captains will take on the Dayton Dragons in a six-game home-and-home series. First pitch for Tuesday night’s series opener is scheduled for 7:05 p.m. from Day Air Ballpark in Dayton. All six games (Tuesday through Thursday at Dayton, Friday through Sunday at Lake County) will be broadcast on the Bally Sports Live App and MiLB.com, with social media coverage courtesy of @LCCaptains on X and Instagram.
About the Lake County Captains:
The Lake County Captains are the professional High-A Affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians located in Eastlake, Ohio. Our mission is to honor the rich history of our organization, while also introducing baseball to a new generation of fans through innovative means. We are committed to supporting our community, sports teams, and each other by demonstrating passion and having fun every day.