Nick Gonzales

Active

Pittsburgh Pirates · Third Base

Age 275' 8" · 193 lbsBats Right

FBaseball Overview

The Pirates' 27-year-old third baseman enters 2026 with renewed offensive momentum, posting a .295 batting average through early action while demonstrating improved consistency at the plate. His power output remains modest with just three home runs thus far, but he's compensating with a solid run-scoring pace and a surprising return to the stolen base column with four steals, suggesting improved aggression on the basepaths. Gonzales offers fantasy managers a floor in batting average and runs scored, though managers should manage expectations around home runs and RBIs given Pittsburgh's limited offensive ecosystem. The key upside lies in whether he can sustain the batting average gains from 2025's struggles while gradually increasing his power totals as he enters his prime years.

MLB Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2023	Pittsburgh Pirates	35	.209	2	13	12	0	.268	.348	.616
2024	Pittsburgh Pirates	94	.270	7	49	42	5	.311	.398	.709
2025	Pittsburgh Pirates	96	.260	5	30	39	0	.299	.362	.661
2026	Pittsburgh Pirates	85	.312	4	40	49	4	.369	.397	.766
Career	Totals	310	.272	18	132	142	9	.319	.381	.700

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Minor League Hitting

Year	Team	G	AVG	HR	RBI	R	SB	OBP	SLG	OPS
2021	Greensboro Grasshoppers	80	.302	18	54	53	7	.385	.565	.950
2022	3 teams▼	74	.264	7	37	48	6	.382	.435	.817
2023	Indianapolis Indians	99	.281	14	49	75	4	.379	.507	.886
2024	Indianapolis Indians	34	.356	5	20	37	0	.429	.600	1.029
2025	Indianapolis Indians	9	.194	0	1	3	0	.211	.250	.461
Career	Totals	296	.289	44	161	216	17	.382	.509	.891

Source: MLB Stats API · Multi-team seasons show combined totals — click to expand

Game Log2026 season

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Analytics2026 season · via Baseball Savant

Click for year to year changes

EV Avg86 mph

Max EV109.7 mph

Launch Angle5.7°

Barrel %2.7%

K %17.9%

Hard Hit %37.4%

Whiff %24.1%

Chase %32.0%

xBA0.287

xSLG0.39

xwOBA0.327

GB%55.1%

LD%23.0%

FB%19.1%

What These Stats Mean

EV Avg — Average exit velocity — how hard this batter hits the ball. Elite hitters (90+ mph) make consistently hard contact, driving better batting averages and more power.

Max EV — Peak exit velocity on the batter's hardest-hit ball this season. Signals raw power potential even without a high HR total yet.

Launch Angle — Average vertical angle of the ball off the bat. The sweet spot for extra-base hits is roughly 10–30°; extreme ground ball or pop-up hitters sit outside this range.

Barrel % — Percentage of batted balls hit with the optimal exit velocity + launch angle combo. Barrels are the single best predictor of home runs and slugging percentage.

K % — Strikeout rate per plate appearance. High K% suppresses batting average and limits run-scoring opportunities — lower is better for fantasy.

Hard Hit % — Percentage of batted balls hit 95 mph or harder. A broader power indicator than barrels; high hard-hit% players rack up extra-base hits and RBI.

Sprint Speed — Peak sprint speed in feet per second. The best predictor of stolen base upside and ability to leg out infield hits.

Whiff % — Percentage of swings that miss. High whiff rates signal strikeout vulnerability, dragging down batting average and overall production.

Chase % — How often the batter swings at pitches outside the strike zone. Low chase rates mean elite plate discipline — more walks, fewer strikeouts, more consistent at-bats.

xBA — Expected batting average based on contact quality, stripping out luck and defensive positioning. Better predictor of future performance than actual batting average.

xSLG — Expected slugging based on batted ball data. A high xSLG relative to actual SLG suggests power suppressed by bad luck that's likely to bounce back.

xwOBA — Expected weighted on-base average — the most comprehensive single expected metric. Combines contact quality, walks, and strikeouts to project overall offensive production.

GB% — Ground ball rate. High GB% hitters trade home run power for speed-dependent value — good for stolen base upside, but a drag on HR and SLG categories.

LD% — Line drive rate. High LD% hitters make consistent hard contact; line drives are the batted ball type most likely to fall for hits and boost batting average.

FB% — Fly ball rate. Elite power hitters combine high FB% with high exit velocity. High fly ball rate + soft contact = home run or nothing type.

Loading player data...

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2023

Pittsburgh Pirates

.209

.268

.348

.616

2024

Pittsburgh Pirates

.270

.311

.398

.709

2025

Pittsburgh Pirates

.260

.299

.362

.661

2026

Pittsburgh Pirates

.312

.369

.397

.766

Career

Totals

310

.272

132

142

.319

.381

.700

Year

Team

AVG

RBI

OBP

SLG

OPS

2021

Greensboro Grasshoppers

.302

.385

.565

.950

2022

3 teams▼

.264

.382

.435

.817

2023

Indianapolis Indians

.281

.379

.507

.886

2024

Indianapolis Indians

.356

.429

.600

1.029

2025

Indianapolis Indians

.194

.211

.250

.461

Career

Totals

296

.289

161

216

.382

.509

.891