Now that Nick Gonzales has played second base, shortstop and third base for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, he’s come to expect a persistent question about his preferences.
“People always ask me what’s my favorite position. I say whatever one that I’m playing that day,” Gonzales said. “Honestly, my favorite position is being in the box and hitting.”
For Gonzales, his favorite position has also been his best. He’s batting .486 (17 for 35) over a nine-game hitting streak, raising his season average to a team-best .330 over 27 games.
Gonzales has five multi-hit games during that stretch. That has forced the Pirates to find ways to keep him in the lineup, whether it’s starting 14 games at third, six at second base or three at shortstop. Now, with Jared Triolo on a rehabilitation assignment at Double-A Altoona, Gonzales is hoping his bat can keep him in the lineup.
“Yeah, he’s earned that,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “He’s been on a tear recently.”
More important, Gonzales is batting a team-best .440 (11 for 25) and has 15 RBIs with runners in scoring position. He went 3 for 5 on Saturday at Milwaukee, including a single that helped score two runs (with the help of an error) in the 10th inning of a 6-3 win over the Brewers. Gonzales added another two-run single in the eighth inning of Tuesday’s 11-7 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals.
“That’s the name of the game. I’m not a guy who’s going to hit a ton of homers, so being able to impact the game in those situations is what I need to do in order to help the team,” Gonzales said. “A single is just as good as a homer in situations like that, especially with two outs and runners on second and third and getting those guys in. I pride myself to do the best I can to get those guys in.
“I’m not putting too much pressure on myself. Just doing what I need to do. I know I can put the ball in play. I know I can shorten up and make something happen.”
A 2020 first-round pick (No. 7 overall), Gonzales had a reputation as the best hitter in college baseball, so his success at the plate is not unexpected. But it has been sidetracked by injuries that delayed his development, including a left groin strain in 2024 when he batted .270/.311/.398 with 19 doubles, seven homers and 49 RBIs.
Last season, a left ankle fracture showed up in his home run trot in the 2025 season opener at Miami and sidelined him for two months. Gonzales wasn’t the same hitter, as his batting average dipped to .260, his on-base percentage to .299 and his RBI total to 30.
“I think last year when he broke his foot, kind threw him off a bit in a lull and then coming back. I don’t know this for sure; it just appeared that he wasn’t 100% confident in it when he came back and he was always fighting it,” Kelly said. “Two years ago, he was big run producer for us. Coming up with guys in scoring position, he had a knack for finding holes and finding the hits and he’s shown that so far this year.”
Even after the Pirates traded for two-time All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe in the offseason, general manager Ben Cherington was adamant that Gonzales would play an important role. That started with shortstop, where he played before switching to third base when Triolo, a 2024 Gold Glove winner and ‘25 finalist, was tabbed to start at short until rookie Konnor Griffin was ready to be promoted.
With Triolo on the injured list after injuring his knee in the home opener, Gonzales has shared time at third base with Nick Yorke and filled in at second and short on occasion. Kelly has been impressed with how Gonzales has transitioned to a position he had played in only two regular season games, with one start, prior to this season.
“Wherever they want to play me, I’ll do my best to be my best at that position,” Gonzales said. “I’m getting more comfortable at third. Going back to second is always something that’s easier for me just because I’ve played 90% of my games at second base. But B-Lowe is playing a great second base, doing a great job. I’ll play wherever they need me.”
But Gonzales knows that the bat is his best tool, so he’s counting on it keeping him in the lineup.
“I think I’ve proven that I can hit,” Gonzales said, “and I hope that I can continue to do so.”