BOSTON -- Soaking in the ambiance of Fenway Park for the first time, Boston's No. 9 prospect Wikelman Gonzalez was on hand to receive the organization¡¯s Starting Pitcher of the Year Award prior to Tuesday night¡¯s 9-7 loss to the Rays.

This was an award Gonzalez couldn¡¯t have been considering at the end of April, a month which saw him compile an 0-2 record and a 15.58 ERA at High-A Greenville.

But Gonzalez dug deep to make the adjustments necessary that turned the rest of his season into one of perseverance and breakout success.

In mid-July, the hard-throwing righty earned a promotion to Double-A Portland, where he handled the transition to a higher level with ease. In 25 starts this season, the 21-year-old Gonzalez went 9-4 with a 3.96 ERA. After his promotion to Double-A, Gonzalez went 3-1 with a 2.42 ERA in 10 starts.

¡°Yeah, it was a very rough start for me,¡± Gonzalez said through team interpreter Carlos Villoria. ¡°I remember April was very tough for me, but I changed some things in my routine to help me be successful throughout the year. I¡¯m glad they did, because that helped put me in a better position during the year.

¡°I pushed myself to go to the gym a little bit more, tried to be more consistent with my routine, trying to focus more on exercise and all my workouts so I could be in a better position.¡±

Those workouts led to an improvement in his pitches.

¡°It was a big improvement for me to be able to control the strike zone, to be able to locate my pitches. I think everything,¡± said Gonzalez, who was an international signing by the Red Sox on July 2, 2018.

Gonzalez hopes to position himself to be at Fenway Park full-time in the next year or two, rather than just stopping by as a visitor.

¡°It makes me proud, I¡¯m very proud. It's the first time that I've stepped into Fenway,¡± Gonzalez said. ¡°I cannot describe the feelings that I¡¯m going through right now. I'm really happy to be here. I'm very honored for this opportunity.¡±

Does he have a goal of when he would like to be in the starting rotation for the Red Sox?

¡°I think God's time is perfect,¡± said Gonzalez. ¡°I'm gonna leave it at that. I think whenever the time comes, I'm going to be ready. I'm going to enjoy it and we're going to try to take advantage of it.¡±

Roman Anthony, who was recognized in the awards ceremony as the organization¡¯s Offensive Player of the Year, got a perfect view of Gonzalez¡¯s nasty stuff from his position in center field.

¡°He's got electric stuff on the mound. He's fun to play behind. He fills up the zone, throws a lot of strikes,¡± said Anthony. ¡°His stuff plays really well. From center field, I get to view it from right behind him, and to see him just face all these hitters. It¡¯s exciting stuff.¡±

While the Red Sox have developed a plethora of impactful position players in recent years, the hope is that the pitching is starting to catch up. Brayan Bello has looked like an upper-echelon starter for much of his first full season in the Majors. Kutter Crawford has taken another leap forward. Tanner Houck is pitching key innings for a third straight season.

In particular, Bello is someone who Gonzalez looks up to, given that both men are graduates of the team¡¯s Dominican Academy.

When Gonzalez finished his media availability in Boston¡¯s dugout, Bello jokingly started making faces at him as he walked toward the clubhouse. Then the two men met in front of the tunnel and embraced.

¡°I have a great relationship with Brayan. I always try to watch his outings,¡± said Gonzalez. ¡°I¡¯ve spent a lot of time with him talking. And for me to have somebody coming from the Academy all the way here, it gives me extra motivation, because I know that I can do the same. That makes me keep going and keep getting better and want to keep grinding.¡±

Gonzalez leads with a fastball that tops out at 97 mph. His other weapons? A curveball with a big break, and a slider and changeup that he is trying to improve command of.

¡°He has four pitches,¡± said Red Sox director of player development Brian Abraham. ¡°He throws all four pitches for strikes, he gets swings and misses with all of those pitches. And to me, that's a recipe for success at the upper levels.¡±