Nick Gonzales

Nick Gonzales

25-Year-Old Second Baseman2B
Pittsburgh Pirates
2024 Fantasy Outlook
Gonzales was once viewed the second baseman of the future in Pittsburgh, though as he's risen through the minor-league system, his strikeout rate has followed suit. Despite punching out at a 26.6 percent rate at Triple-A Indianapolis to start the 2023 season, he was promoted to the majors on June 23. As could be projected due to his struggles in the minors, Gonzales struggled in his first taste of big-league pitching by posting just a 64 wRC+ with a horrific .268 wOBA across 213 plate appearances. As a result, he was demoted back to Indianapolis in August, leaving Liover Peguero and Ji Hwan Bae to man second base. Gonzales will now enter 2024 in competition for the starting second base job with that duo. The good news is that neither of Bae nor Peguero were exceptional in their 2023 sample, though this is likely Gonzales's last chance to prove he won't turn into the latest disappointment in Pittsburgh. Read Past Outlooks
RANKS
Rest of Season From Preseason
#361
ADP
$Signed a one-year contract with the Pirates in March of 2024.
Homers in two straight
2BPittsburgh Pirates
September 29, 2024
Gonzales went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Saturday against the Yankees.
ANALYSIS
Gonzales took Luis Gil yard to record a home run in his second consecutive game, his only two long balls since returning from the injured list Aug. 26. He's still had an impressive close to the regular season, maintaining a .308 batting average with 10 RBI and 13 runs scored to go along with a 14.8 percent strikeout rate in his last 28 appearances. While not a prolific power hitter, Gonzales should be locked into a starting role for the Pirates in 2025.
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Batting Stats
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2024
2023
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2023 MLB Game Log
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Batting Order Slot Breakdown
vs Right-Handed Pitchers
vs RHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
5
3
14
21
18
3
vs Left-Handed Pitchers
vs LHP
#1
#2
#3
#4
#5
#6
#7
#8
#9
1
1
4
7
8
6
Left/Right Batting Splits
Since 2022
 
 
+15%
OPS vs LHP
2024
 
 
+26%
OPS vs LHP
2023
 
 
+11%
OPS vs RHP
2022
No Stats
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2022vs Left .758 141 15 4 17 0 .269 .312 .446
Since 2022vs Right .659 374 39 5 45 5 .250 .296 .363
2024vs Left .837 98 10 3 14 0 .315 .337 .500
2024vs Right .665 289 32 4 35 5 .255 .302 .363
2023vs Left .572 43 5 1 3 0 .158 .256 .316
2023vs Right .637 85 7 1 10 0 .234 .274 .364
2022vs Left 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022vs Right 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Home/Away Batting Splits
Since 2022
 
 
+5%
OPS on Road
2024
 
 
+17%
OPS on Road
2023
 
 
+39%
OPS at Home
2022
No Stats
OPS PA R HR RBI SB AVG OBP SLG
Since 2022Home .667 249 23 3 39 2 .248 .306 .360
Since 2022Away .703 266 31 6 23 3 .262 .294 .409
2024Home .649 187 17 1 30 2 .256 .316 .333
2024Away .762 200 25 6 19 3 .283 .307 .455
2023Home .723 62 6 2 9 0 .222 .279 .444
2023Away .520 66 6 0 4 0 .197 .258 .262
2022Home 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2022Away 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
More Splits View More Split Stats
Stat Review
How does Nick Gonzales compare to other hitters?
This section compares his stats with all batting seasons from the previous three seasons (minimum 400 plate appearances)*. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that stat and it would be considered average.

* Exit Velocity and Barrels/PA % are benchmarked against 2019 data (min 400 PA) and Hard Hit Rate is benchmarked against last season's data (min 400 PA). See here for more exit velocity/barrels stats plus an explanation of current limitations with that data set.
  • BB/K
    Walk to strikeout ratio
  • BB Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a walk.
  • K Rate
    The percentage of plate appearances resulting in a strikeout.
  • BABIP
    Batting average on balls in play. Measures how many of a batter’s balls in play go for hits.
  • ISO
    Isolated Power. Slugging percentage minus batting average. A computation used to measure a batter's raw power.
  • AVG
    Batting average. Hits divided by at bats.
  • OBP
    On Base Percentage. A measure of how often a batters reaches base. Roughly equal to number of times on base divided by plate appearances.
  • SLG
    Slugging Percentage. A measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats.
  • OPS
    On base plus slugging. THe sum of a batter's on-base percentage and slugging percentage.
  • wOBA
    Weighted on-base average. Measures a player's overall offensive contributions per plate appearance. wOBA combines all the different aspects of hitting into one metric, weighting each of them in proportion to their actual run value.
  • Exit Velocity
    The speed of the baseball as it comes off the bat, immediately after a batter makes contact.
  • Hard Hit Rate
    A measure of contact quality from Sports Info Solutions. This stat explains what percentage of batted balls were hit hard vs. medium or soft.
  • Barrels/PA
    The percentage of plate appearances where a batter had a batted ball classified as a Barrel. A Barrel is a batted ball with similar exit velocity and launch angle to past ones that led to a minimum .500 batting average and 1.500 slugging percentage.
  • Expected BA
    Expected Batting Average.
  • Expected SLG
    Expected Slugging Percentage.
  • Sprint Speed
    The speed of a runner from home to first, in feet per second.
  • Ground Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are on the ground.
  • Line Drive %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are line drives.
  • Fly Ball %
    The percentage of balls put in play that are fly balls.
BB/K
0.24
 
BB Rate
4.7%
 
K Rate
19.1%
 
BABIP
.319
 
ISO
.128
 
AVG
.270
 
OBP
.311
 
SLG
.398
 
OPS
.709
 
wOBA
.310
 
Exit Velocity
87.9 mph
 
Hard Hit Rate
30.7%
 
Barrels/PA
5.9%
 
Expected BA
.274
 
Expected SLG
.412
 
Sprint Speed
25.6 ft/sec
 
Ground Ball %
42.2%
 
Line Drive %
22.8%
 
Fly Ball %
34.9%
 
Prospect Rankings History
Advanced Batting Stats
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Additional Stats
Games By Position
Defensive Stats
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Batted Ball Stats
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Stats Vs Upcoming Pitchers
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Past Fantasy Outlooks
2023
2022
2021
Gonzales progressed to Double-A Altoona in 2022, though he had a season highlighted by injury and strikeout problems. He missed over two months of action due to a heel issue, limiting him to only 316 plate appearances. The results in that sample were a mixed bag, as he managed an impressive .365 wOBA and 127 wRC+. There were also signs that he was translating his considerable raw power into game power, as his pull rate increased from 36 to 43 percent and his flyball rate spiked from 36 to 49 percent. Perhaps he sold out for power, as his strikeout rate remained inflated, and he's now struck out at a 27.4 percent and 28.5 percept clip in his two seasons as a professional. Despite some unexpected downside in his profile, Gonzales remains a key part of the Pirates' future and is a top-100 fantasy prospect -- even if his stock has fallen. It's possible that he makes his big-league debut at some point in 2023, though he'll likely spend most of his campaign with Triple-A Indianapolis.
Gonzales, the No. 7 overall pick in 2020, suffered a broken pinky a few weeks into his first pro season and was slow to get into a groove after returning in late June. However, he finished the year on fire, hitting .335/.430/.625 with 14 home runs over his final 56 games at High-A. He kept mashing to the tune of a .380/.483/.549 slash line in 19 games in the Arizona Fall League. All told, he had a 25.2 K%, 11.6 BB%, 20 home runs and 11 steals in 99 games. Gonzales has an explosive swing with bat speed and torque that allow him to hit for significant power out of a 5-foot-10, 195-pound frame. He gets the ball in the air with ease (35.6 GB% at High-A), but his strikeout rates were a tad high for a 22-year-old at those levels. He also played in one of the more homer-prone parks (Greensboro) in the minors last season, hitting .265/.373/.435 on the road. Gonzales is an above-average runner and does enough damage when he makes contact that we can expect high batting averages on balls in play, but key aspects of his profile are still unclear, particularly where his bat-to-ball skill and game power will settle in the coming years. He could be a five-category No. 2 hitter if he maxes out. We should learn a lot as he heads to the upper levels for his final full season in the minors.
Gonzales fell to the Pirates with the seventh pick in last year's draft, but he is the clear third pick in first-year player drafts for dynasty leagues, behind Spencer Torkelson and Austin Martin. A 5-foot-10, 190-pound offensive-minded second baseman, Gonzales didn't appeal to certain teams at the top of the draft, but he has a chance to develop into a No. 2 or No. 3 hitter in the majors. We can downgrade his video game numbers at altitude with New Mexico State, but he proved in the Cape Cod League in 2019 that he is a special offensive prospect. He showed off his strength and bat speed by slashing .351/.451/.630 with seven home runs and a 22:20 K:BB in 42 games with a wood bat en route to MVP honors in the Cape. He boasts above-average speed but has not looked to run much, going 19-for-23 on stolen-base attempts in 173 games. Gonzales should open at High-A and could reach the majors in 2022.
More Fantasy News
Taking seat Tuesday
2BPittsburgh Pirates
September 24, 2024
Gonzales is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Brewers.
ANALYSIS
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Records two hits, swipes bag
2BPittsburgh Pirates
September 19, 2024
Gonzales went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run, an RBI and a stolen base in Thursday's 3-2 win against St. Louis.
ANALYSIS
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Exiting lineup Monday
2BPittsburgh Pirates
September 16, 2024
Gonzales is out of the lineup for Monday's game against the Cardinals.
ANALYSIS
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Hitting well since return
2BPittsburgh Pirates
September 9, 2024
Gonzales went 2-for-4 with a run scored Sunday against the Nationals.
ANALYSIS
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Sitting out Game 2
2BPittsburgh Pirates
September 7, 2024
Gonzales isn't in the Pirates' lineup for the second game of Saturday's doubleheader against the Nationals.
ANALYSIS
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
May join taxi squad in late September
2BPittsburgh Pirates
September 7, 2020
Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday that Gonzales could be among the prospects that report to Pittsburgh when the organization closes its alternate training site in Altoona around Sept. 18, Jason Mackey of Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports.
ANALYSIS
The No. 7 overall pick in June's first-year player draft, Gonzales has yet to make his professional debut while the 2020 minor-league season has been cancelled, but he's already seemingly solidified his status as the organization's top prospect. Regarded as an advanced hitter coming out of New Mexico State, Gonzales was drafted as a college shortstop, but Pittsburgh has since converted him to second base, where he was always viewed as a better fit defensively. Gonzales has apparently adapted well to the position change while working out and playing in simulated games at Altoona, and he could gain some further seasoning if the Pirates elect to send him to Pittsburgh for the final week and a half of the season. The non-contending Pirates are unlikely to formally add Gonzales to the active roster and begin his service clock later this month, but his presence on Pittsburgh's taxi squad could signal that the organization views him as someone who could contribute at the big-league level at some point in 2021.
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