Pirates rookie Nick Gonzales showcases power, ability to do damage in 1st homestand

Nick Gonzales has all of nine major league games under his belt, but the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie learned an important lesson in the difference between pitching in the majors and the minors.

“You have to hit the mistakes,” Gonzales said. “You get a good pitch to hit, you have to do damage with it early, make the adjustments and go from there. Try not to expand too much. Stay within your approach and everything like that, and put a good swing on the ball.”

When Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Colin Rea left a cutter over the heart of the plate in the second inning Sunday, Gonzales sent it 414 feet to straightaway center for a two-run homer.

THAT BALL WAS GONZO ???? pic.twitter.com/fYqObCyQVL

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 2, 2023

Just another 400+ foot Nick Gonzales HR (414 feet) https://t.co/7SJGZiPNV0 pic.twitter.com/CY2FSEBQp9

— Platinum Ke’Bryan (@PlatinumKey13) July 2, 2023

The 5-foot-9, 190-pounder flashed his power with his second homer in six days, as Gonzales crushed a 442-bomb into the hedges in center off the San Diego’s Adrian Morjeon on June 27 in his PNC Park debut. Where his first was a solo shot, the second one followed a Josh Palacios double.

“We know he can drive the ball,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “He creates torque. We’ve seen both of his home runs be to center field. Situation there where it’s runner on second, nobody out. He’s trying to drive the ball in the middle of the field. He showed the ability to do that.”

The No. 7 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, Gonzales proved his pedigree in his first homestand with the Pirates. After going 0 for 8 with a walk in his first three games at Miami, Gonzales put up an impressive .348/.360/.739 slash line over the past seven games and earned an interesting spot in Pirates history.

Gonzales tripled and homered on Tuesday and singled on Wednesday against San Diego, then doubled Friday against Milwaukee to join Ke’Bryan Hayes as only the second player in the Expansion Era (since 1961) to have his first four major league hits go for the cycle. The only other rookie to do so this season is Cincinnati’s Elly De La Cruz.

“That’s kind of my game: looking to do damage and trying to swing at strikes,” Gonzales said. “Stay within my zone and my approach but also ready to do some damage.”

With Ji Hwan Bae (left ankle sprain) on the 10-day injured list, Gonzales has a chance to showcase his skills on an everyday basis at second base and shortstop. Gonzales has played four games (three starts) at second and five (four starts) at short each spot, and has made a solid impression with his defense.

“It’s a reassuring thing, “Shelton said. “When we have injuries, we’re going to test our depth. Right now we’re testing it with our young players being here. It’s nice to see the job Nick did.”

Gonzales credited playing multiple positions at Triple-A Indianapolis for improving his defense, even though he had what Shelton described as a “knuckleball” by Brian Anderson deflect off his glove for a single in the eighth inning in Sunday’s 6-3 loss to the Brewers.

“Knuckleballs are tough regardless of how long you’ve been in the big leagues,” Shelton said. “But, other than that, it looks like he has continued to get better. I think some of that is because of the versatility he has shown in the minor leagues, being able to play on both sides of the bag.”

The 24-year-old Gonzales is still acclimating to the majors but appears more prepared for his first full road trip with the Pirates, who play two more games at the Los Angeles Dodgers followed by three at the Arizona Diamondbacks before the All-Star break.

“It’s been a blessing and, obviously, a dream come true to come to the big leagues and play,” Gonzales said. “It’s been a lot of fun. I’m really excited and looking forward to what the future brings.”