PHOENIX — Don Kelly noticed something was different in Spring Training.
Nick Gonzales, meanwhile, said he’s always making adjustments. The trick so far in 2026, when Gonzales has found himself atop the MLB batting average leaders, has been good health and a run of consistent playing time.
Whatever the case, Gonzales has finally blossomed into the hitter the Pirates thought they were getting when they drafted him seventh overall in 2020, the high-contact, gap-to-gap approach netting some impressive numbers.
Entering Tuesday’s series opener against the Diamondbacks, Gonzales was hitting .328, fifth-best in the National League. Tracing back to April 19, Gonzales was hitting .426 over his past 14 games, tops in Major League Baseball.
It’s been a process for Gonzales to get here, but it has come at a great time, where he has become the Pirates’ every day third baseman.
“He's a fighter,” Kelly said. “When you go back to [Gonzales] in college, walking on and the career he's made for himself, it's through hard work, perseverance and grit. He continues to show that every single day.”
Gonzales definitely fits the Pirates’ blue-collar identity, and he’s also a big-time hitting nerd. The Vail, Ariz., native has fascinated by the nuance of the trade since he was a kid. He’s seemingly always tweaking something.
Talk hitting with Gonzales, and his reasoning for why things are different this season are very specific. It’s also hard to argue. Gonzales likes how he hasn’t jumped as much at the ball; staying into his back leg more has flatted out his bat path.
But that’s not all. Gonzales has also seen his contact point change — perhaps a nod to his setup and the actual execution of his swing.
In previous years, Gonzales was out front far too frequently and limited in his adjustments. If a pitcher didn’t throw what he expected, Gonzales was probably making an out.
This season, he’s been able to let the ball travel and still make late contact.
“My contact point has shifted to being right around home plate, right on home plate or even behind home plate,” Gonzales said. “Last year, it was so far out front that I almost had to cheat to get there. It’s really hard for me to make late contact.
“That’s why a lot of my base hits have gone the other way. That’s what we’re working on: hitting the ball that way.”
The numbers support that, as Gonzales is hitting a career-high 28.0% of balls to right field. He’s also been better than ever handling heat, his .339 batting average against fastballs by far the best of his three previous big league seasons.
Those numbers have come with a tradeoff. Gonzales, after all this time, has realized who he is as a hitter. He’s not swinging for home runs, instead prioritizing consistent contact and a high batting average.
It’s not necessarily en vogue around the game, but that approach has worked out well so far for Gonzales, who’s also whiffing a career-low 23.7% of the time.
“Being a high-average guy is probably more beneficial to the team than me trying to hit some homers,” Gonzales said. “I don’t have any homers, but I had the one at home that got robbed. Then the one in Chicago, the wind kind of ate it up. I feel like I could easily have two or three. It didn’t happen. I’m not too worried about it.
“If I’m walking, putting the ball in play and driving runs in, that helps with not putting the ball over the fence.”
That, though, is the end. For Gonzales and his success this season, the beginning has been the most important. That’s what Kelly noticed on day one.
Kelly talked about Gonzales’ setup and posture, how it freed him up to pull the ball some but also didn’t force him to sell out for power. He could adjust and hit the ball the other way.
Gonzales has incredibly quick hands and has also flattened his bat path. In simple terms, he’s in the hitting zone sooner and stays there for longer.
“Sometimes I have a tendency to really fall forward, which created a steep bat path,” Gonzales said. “It was harder to spoil pitches. I put the ball in play, but it was harder to hit the ball in the air and do damage in the gaps.
“I’m seeing the ball longer, so I’m able to take the borderline stuff versus swinging at it and grounding out.”
All of it has sort of built on itself. By getting results, Gonzales has played every day. Playing every day has allowed him to get into a rhythm, which has afforded him the opportunity to get daily feedback and tweak what might feel a little off.
It’s what Gonzales loves the most. He’s long been a hitting nerd, someone who loves learning about the mechanics of his swing and what he needs to do to improve. The good thing is that in 2026, those tweaks have become fewer and farther between.
“It’s exciting,” said Gonzales, who’s also enjoying a career-high in walk rate (6.3%). “I’m happy to be helping the team.
“Things that got me to a good spot in ’24 put me in a bad spot in ’25. It can be like a teeter-totter with adjustments. It’s finding what’s going to work and finding what’s not gonna work.
“Sometimes what you’re feeling and what you think you’re doing is not what you’re actually doing. So, it’s been about finding real versus feel and being able to attack it. I feel like I’m in a good spot.”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH.