Pirates Notebook: Nick Gonzales making the most of his second chance
With the offense in a disastrous slump, the Pittsburgh Pirates turned to one of their top prospects, Nick Gonzales, to provide a spark earlier this month. So far, the move has been beneficial, as Gonzales has been a hitting machine. In his second stint in the majors, the former seventh-overall pick has looked like a different player, ready to be part of the Pirates' core.
In 64 at-bats, Gonzales has posted a .313 batting average and driven in 16 runs. The New Mexico State product has also stolen two bases and posted a .375 on-base percentage. While it is a small sample size, Gonzales has been hard to keep out of the lineup and come through regardless of the situation.
For the Pirates, the play of the 2020 draftee has been one of the most significant developments of the season. Last year, he looked lost at the plate when he got his first extended look in the majors, posting a .209 batting average in 35 games. He also struggled to put the ball in play, striking out 36 times. After not making the opening-day roster, Gonzales has made adjustments that are paying off, including improving his hard-hit rate.
Additionally, Gonzales has recorded five multi-hit games, with his best performance coming Wednesday against the Tigers. In Game two of the doubleheader, he added three hits to his resume, including one home run. What made his performance more impressive was that in Game One, he struck out twice. Like he has done all month, Gonzales didn’t let a few bad at-bats affect his confidence.
If the season were to end today, Gonzales would rank fourth on the Pirates in home runs with three and be tied for first in triples with one. That is not bad for a player who has only appeared in 16 games.
As the innings pile up, Gonzales will be a player to watch. He has been solid in the field and stellar at the plate. That is the player the Pirates have been waiting to see in the majors since they made him a top-ten pick four years ago.
While much attention has been placed on the Pirates' rookie pitching duo of Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, Gonzales has been just as good and has shown that he has no plans of giving up his role as the starting second baseman anytime soon.
