Love of hitting paying off for Bucs’ Gonzales

With muscles rippling on his back and a quiet determination in his eyes, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ second baseman has the look of a running back unafraid of contact, despite a 5-foot-9, 190-pound physique.

But that’s not Nick Gonzales.

He tried football at Cienga High School in Vail, Ariz., and held his own as a running back and slot receiver. But during practice, he found his mind and eyes wandering elsewhere.

“I’d be on the football field, staring at the baseball field, (saying) ‘I’d rather be up there.’” So, it was no surprise when after his sophomore year, he gave up the game where he accepted contact to play one where he dished it out with a ball and a bat.

And that’s only one reason Gonzales, the Pirates’ 2020 No. 1 draft choice, found himself over the past month driving the baseball into the air and through outfield gaps.

He started this season in Triple-A Indianapolis, but he leads all Pirates players in batting average (.315) and OPS (.885) for the season. He also leads the National League in RBIs (22) since ascending to the majors May 10. Of course, there’s the disclaimer that he has played in only 24 of 62 games. Still, he’s fourth on the team in RBIs and seventh in home runs (four).

”Still a work in progress, obviously, every day,” he said of his ability at the plate.

“I always loved hitting from a young age, 4, 5, 6 years old. It’s the only thing I really wanted to do and kind of the only thing I love to do now. Love hitting.”

Gonzales, 25, said his passion for the game is rooted in his father Mike’s schooling on the baseball diamonds of Arizona. But don’t minimize his quest to be better than his brother Daniel, who is five years older.

“I just wanted to be better than him, kind of drove me,” he said. “I got better than him at a young age.”

Friendly rivalry among siblings can be a good thing. Gonzales comfortably laughs at the memory.

“After that, I just kept going,” he said.

This season, Gonzales put together two four-RBI games 12 days apart (May 24 against the Atlanta Braves and Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers). In the Pirates’ 11-7 loss to the Dodgers on Thursday, he was 2 for 5 with a two-run homer.

Manager Derek Shelton was most impressed with the five pitches Gonzales fouled off before homering on the eighth in the third inning.

“He had to grind through it, just had to keep going,” Shelton said. “We just keep seeing Nick get better, which is really cncouraging.”

Gonzales said his work in the offseason ironed out deficiencies in his approach that resulted in only a .205 batting average, two homers and 13 RBIs in 35 games last season.

”I’m able to trust my swing and trust the process,” he said, crediting work over the winter and in the spring.

“I have a good attack plan on the pitcher. (I) worry about that and not have to worry about my swing or mechanics or anything like that.”

He said standing taller at the plate allows him “to be a little more through the ball, especially out in front.”

”Just being able to pull the ball a little bit better in the air on breaking balls or any pitch, really. Being able to make more consistent hard contact, leading to a little bit better results.

“I don’t think I’m hitting the ball harder than I did last year. Just hitting it a little more consistent.”

Gonzales said he didn’t treat starting the season in Triple-A as a setback. No chip on his shoulder, he said.

”I knew the adjustments I had made. For (the Pirates) to put trust in those offseason adjustments and believe in me out of spring is not realistic.”

So, he just kept his head in the right place and ended up hitting .358 with a 1.039 OPS in Indianapolis before his promotion.

“I had no problem with them sending me to Triple-A,” he said. “I understood.“