Pittsburgh Pirates' Nick Gonzales Reveals Goal for Next Season

Title: Pirates' Nick Gonzales Reveals Goal for Next Season Nick Gonzales aims to enhance his defensive skills and base-running abilities for the 2025 season after improving as a hitter in 2024. Gonzales expressed confidence in his defensive improvements over the years and is focused on becoming a more significant threat on the bases. He aspires to achieve 20 stolen bases in the upcoming season, indicating a commitment to work on his speed and base-running techniques during the offseason. In 2024, Gonzales played 85 games at second base with five errors, resulting in a -4 defensive runs saved metric. He also played eight games at shortstop, where he made two errors, highlighting areas for defensive improvement. Throughout his professional career, Gonzales has not been a prolific base stealer, with only 17 stolen bases in the minor leagues and a maximum of seven in a season. The Pittsburgh Pirates ranked 16th in stolen bases with 106 in the previous season, indicating room for improvement in this area. Oneil Cruz led the Pirates with 22 stolen bases in 2024, while no other returning player exceeded 11. Gonzales had a solid batting average of .270/.311/.398 in 2024, with seven home runs and 49 RBIs over 94 games, contributing to the team's offensive efforts. The Pirates' offense struggled in 2024, ranking in the bottom 10 in major statistics, suggesting that improved base running could enhance scoring opportunities.

Original Article: https://www.si.com/mlb/pirates/news/pittsburgh-pirates-nick-gonzales-reveals-goal-next-season

Original Article Author: Nathaniel Marrero