Pirates Hinting at Plan For Nick Gonzales to End 2026
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PITTSBURGH — Nick Gonzales is one of the Pittsburgh Pirates' best hitters, and the team has looked at ways to get the most out of that
The Pirates have Gonzales at designated hitter and batting fourth against the San Francisco Giants in the series opener at PNC Park on Sept. 1.
Gonzales will make his fourth start as a designated hitter in the past 10 games, after not doing so in his first 343 games with the Pirates.
He takes over at designated hitter from Oneil Cruz, who moves back to center field following the 5-4 win against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium on Aug. 30.
What the Pirates Want Out of Gonzales
Gonzales has had a strong season for the Pirates at the plate, his best yet, and is showing that he can have a long future with the franchise.
He has hit .307/.368/.396 for an OPS of .764 in 128 games, with 148 hits, 23 doubles, six home runs and 57 RBI for the Pirates in 2026.
Gonzales has the fourth-best batting average in baseball and the 21st-best on-base percentage, while also posting the second-best BABIP (Batting Average on Balls in Play) at .366.
While Gonzales has done a much better job at the plate, his defense has been poor and he has struggled massively in 2026.
Gonzales moved to third base this season after Brandon Lowe joined as the starting second baseman, and he's struggled to adjust to the new position.
He has -14 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -11 outs above average (OAA) at third base, the worst and second-worst marks at the position in MLB in 2026.
The Pirates have started him twice at third base in the past two weeks and started him at second base in four games.
Gonzales has hit well in the designated hitter role, .429/.500/.500 for an OPS of 1.000 in those three starts, with six hits in 14 at-bats, a double and four RBI.
Jared Triolo has taken over third base responsibilities more regularly, with eight starts in the past 16 games and Nick Yorke has started six games since returning from Triple-A Indianapolis.
The Pirates will likely have Gonzales bounce between designated hitter and second base, with starts at third base more sparingly.
Pirates Lineup vs. Giants
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Field | Switch |
Nick Gonzales | Designated Hitter | Right |
Oneil Cruz | Center Field | Left |
Esmerlyn Valdez | Right Field | Right |
Jacob Gonzalez | Shortstop | Left |
Jared Triolo | Third Base | Right |
Henry Davis | Catcher | Right |
The Pirates face Giants All-Star right-handed starting pitcher Logan Webb and have a more standard lineup against him.
Triolo takes over at third base in this game, after Yorke started last game, and Jacob Gonzalez comes in at shortstop as a left-handed hitter.
First baseman Spencer Horwitz and Lowe, both left-handed hitters, bat first and second, rounding out the Pirates' infield.
The Pirates have their regular outfield with left fielder Bryan Reynolds hitting third, Cruz batting fifth and rookie right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez batting sixth.
Henry Davis is in at catcher and will work with starting pitcher Paul Skenes, who is coming off a great start vs. the San Diego Padres at Petco Park on Aug. 25.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.