Nick Gonzales Looks to Have Found New Home at Third Base
Six years ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Nick Gonzales as the seventh overall pick in the MLB Draft. The former New Mexico State standout became the first draft selection by Ben Cherington as Pirates general manager.
Gonzales arrived to Pittsburgh during the 2023 season. He didn’t do much offensively; slashing .209/.268/.348 in 128 plate appearances.
The 2024 season was better for Gonzales. He hit .270, while posting a .709 OPS, which is about the league average OPS.
Gonzales entered 2025 as the Pirates second baseman. On Opening Day in Miami, he suffered a freak injury, when he fractured his left ankle, after leaving the batter’s box on a home run. The injury sidelined him for two months, before returning to the team on June 3rd.
Offensively, Gonzales couldn’t seem to get it going, with a slash line of .260/.299/.362, for a wRC+ of 82. The injury also seemed to have affected his defense at second base, as he registered -11 Defensive Runs Saved - the worst mark at the position last year.
This past offseason, the Pirates’ goal was to substantially improve the offense. One of those moves was acquiring Tampa Bay Rays All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe.
The addition of Lowe obviously wasn’t good news for Gonzales, but Ben Cherington included him as a candidate to be the club’s Opening Day shortstop, along with Jared Triolo and Konnor Griffin.
Because Griffin was optioned to AAA, it allowed Gonzales to be at shortstop and Triolo at third base.
On the day of Griffin’s call up to the bigs, for the Pirates home opener, Triolo sustained a right patellar tendon injury, while running the bases.
The Triolo injury has given Gonzales a chance to be an everyday starter again, this time at third base. Gonzales was recently on a 10-game hitting streak, the longest of his big league career, and is batting .444 over his last 14 games. Among qualified National League hitters, his .328 average is currently fifth highest; ninth best in all of MLB. Gonzales has also been tremendous so far with runners in scoring position, hitting .429 in those situations.
With the exception of two games in 2024 with Pittsburgh, and 19 in the minors, third base is still a relatively new position for Gonzales. To this point, he’s been holding his own at the hot corner, committing only one error in 39 chances.
The Pirates’ offense has averaged 5.14 runs per game, which is tied for sixth best in baseball. A rejuvenated Gonzales has helped add a boost, and provide more stability in the lineup. While it certainly took Gonzales some time to excel in the bigs, the former first rounder looks to finally be doing so.