Pirates' Nick Gonzales emulates former Yankees star when it comes to hitting approach

In his first full MLB season, Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales has had a quietly strong year at the plate.

Prior to taking a routine rest day in Tuesday's series opener against the Milwaukee Brewers, Gonzales was averaging a hit per game over his previous seven contests. Despite missing close to a month while he was sidelined with a groin injury, Gonzales has had a solid first full season in the big leagues, slashing .269/.306/.383 with five home runs and 47 RBI in his first 89 games before that breather.

Gonzales' late-game heroics were on display most recently in the Pirates' series finale against the St. Louis Cardinals last week, when he went 2-for-4 with a triple, a run, an RBI and a stolen base in a 3-2 win that helped Pittsburgh avoid a four-game sweep at the hands of a National League Central Division rival.

Gonzales tripled and scored the first run of the game in the fourth inning, then plated the game-winning RBI on a single in the eighth. It was his second straight multi-hit game and his third straight contest with an extra-base hit. He also went on to hit a single in each of the Pirates' first two contests against the Cincinnati Reds in the following series to extend his hit streak to five games.

The second baseman appears primed to finish the season out strong for the Pirates, who have a handful of games remaining before their offseason gets off to yet another early start. Through the first 20 games of September, Gonzales batted .280 (21-for-75) with seven runs, seven RBI and a pair of stolen bases.

Pirates' Nick Gonzales emulates former Yankees star DJ LeMahieu when it comes to hitting approach

For a 25-year-old with just 124 games of MLB experience, Gonzales' poise at the plate and ability to deliver in high-pressure situations are especially impressive. When asked recently about his late-game approach, Gonzales shared some insight into how he handles critical at-bats.

"Someone told me about how DJ LeMahieu kinda just takes every at-bat the same,” Gonzales said (via Noah Hiles of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette). “It's the most important at-bat, no matter the count, the situation, when in the year."

Whatever Gonzales' strategy is, it appears to be working. The Pirates will now hope he can stay healthy and build upon his success in 2025.

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