PITTSBURGH - Nick Gonzales has been one of the best hitters for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season and they may have just figured out where he works best.
The Pirates had Gonzales at designated hitter against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the series opener at Dodger Stadium on Aug. 21, marking the first time he's played there in his MLB career .
Gonzales took advantage of this, with two RBI-singles in his first two at-bats, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the first inning and then tying the game at 2-2 in the third inning.
It's just a start, but the Pirates should consider having Gonzales serve as designated hitter more often for the remainder of 2026.
Gonzales was designated hitter for the first time in the major leagues, but he had actually been designated hitter 19 times in the minor leagues, last doing so on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Indianapolis last year.
He has been great for the Pirates this season , batting .311/.369/.404 for an OPS of .773 in 121 games, with 142 hits, 22 doubles, six home runs, 55 RBI and 33 walks to 83 strikeouts.
Aug 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Nick Gonzales (3) hits a RBI single in the third inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Gonzales has the third-best batting average in baseball, plus tied for the sixth-most hits and the 19th-best on-base percentage.
He also leads all major league hitters with 15 multi-hit games, his latest coming against the Dodgers, and becoming the first Pirates player to do so since Andrew McCutchen in 2013, when he won National League MVP honors.
"Yeah that's just kind of a testament to the work I've been putting in since honestly last year and throughout the offseason," Gonzales said postgame on his season to SportsNet Pittsburgh. "The hitting department, what they've been able to do with me adjustment-wise, it's been good. Happy to do that and happy to help the team."
Gonzales got a chance at designated hitter as Pirates manager Don Kelly wanted to give him a day off from the field, doing so previously with both left fielder Bryan Reynolds and second baseman Brandon Lowe, but also with Ryan O'Hearn and Spencer Horwitz too.
"Yeah Nick's played a lot of games too and just trying to rotate this around with the guys," Kelly said to SportsNetPittsburgh pregame. "Reynolds and Lowe have gotten to DH a bunch with Nick going tonight and we're going to try and mix it around as much as we can."
While Kelly may say that he wants to rotate his players and give them chances at designated hitter for rest, there's one clear reason why Gonzales was there vs. the Dodgers.
Gonzales has struggled massively on defense in his career and once again in 2026, starting most of his games at third base.
Jul 20, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Nick Gonzales (3) throws the ball to first base a ground ball hit by New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells (not pictured) during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
He has posted -14 defensive runs saved (DRS) and -11 outs above average (OAA), ranking the worst and second-worst marks for any MLB third baseman this season, respectively.
Gonzales is better off at second baseman and probably shortstop, but Lowe is the starting second baseman and Jared Triolo will usually play shortstop, especially with rookie Konnor Griffin there, when not injured.
The Pirates having Gonzales at designated hitter avoids having him making mistakes at third base, puts Triolo there, where he has been Gold Glove-caliber at, and keeps Gonzales' bat in the lineup.
"Yeah, a little different honestly," Gonzales said on moving to designated hitter. "Just hitting, but DH'd in the minor leagues and just guess, just go and think about your at-bats a little bit more, but have a little more time to get ready for them and kind of overthink sometimes. Just trying to do what I can."
His two RBI-singles against the Dodgers show this and will give him a chance to start hitting better in August, after batting just .263/.344/.333 for an OPS of .677.
"Yeah that's good. Obviously, that's what I'm there to do," Gonzales said. "Drive some runs in, so it's nice to do that."
This article was originally published on www.si.com/mlb/pirates/onsi as Pirates May Have Unlocked Nick Gonzales' Best Potential .
