MLB Pipeline ranked Pittsburgh Pirates 2020 first round pick Nick Gonzales the No. 1 second baseman in the minor leagues, the highest position ranking of any Pirates prospect. Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick last summer and the club’s top prospect per MLB Pipeline, was ranked the No. 4 catcher and Oneil Cruz the No. 9 shortstop.
Gonzales batted .303/.385/.565 with 23 doubles, four triples, 18 home runs and 54 RBIs in 80 games with High-A Greensboro last season, his first full pro season, including a two-game stretch in which he hit five home runs and had two grand slams in late August.
In the Arizona Fall League, Gonzales hit .380 with a 1.032 OPS and drew almost as many walks (13) as strikeouts (14). Where Gonzales said he made “huge improvements” was on defense, concentrating on his footwork while playing shortstop to get used to both sides of the bag.
Although Gonzales is likely ticketed to start the season at Double-A Altoona, he wants to prove that he can make another big jump and join the Pirates sometime this summer.