It’s safe to say that Nick Gonzales’s first go around at the major league level was less than stellar. Called up near the end of June as part of a drawn out wave of prospects brought to the major leagues, Gonzales played in 32 games for the Pirates during his run. 

Playing primarily second base with some shortstop mixed in, Gonzales got 102 MLB at bats, where he batted a .212 average. He put up 2 home runs and 11 RBIs in that time frame. 

He got off to an amazingly hot start; in his first 15 games as a major leaguer, Gonzales was batting .280, including a five game run from July 2nd to July 6th where he recorded 10 hits in 5 games. 

Unfortunately, those 15 games were where all of Gonzales’s home runs and a vast majority of his RBIs came, and after that, his standing at the plate plummeted. 

From July 9th onward, Gonzales had an abysmal .154, adding just 2 RBIs and not much else. His discouraging results prompted the Pirates to make some more changes to the roster. 

His final game as a Pirate came on August 2nd, before Pittsburgh opted to return him to Triple-A Indianapolis. 

As of late, however, Gonzales has been on a tear down in Indy. 

His bat has recovered in his second stint with Triple-A, batting almost .300 with the Indians in the month of August after being sent back down. And more recently, Gonzales has a .348 average in the month of September, including a five game hitting streak in his last five games. That mini run also featured a four hit game on September 5th. 

With his recent resurgence at the plate, the question has been rising about whether the Pirates should bring him up for another crack at major league at bats. 

Gonzales’s recent Triple-A success is lining up almost perfectly with the struggles of some who are currently on the Pirates’ major league roster. 

Alika Williams is probably the biggest name to be called into question. Williams is batting .216 with the Pirates right now, which is just a hair over what Gonzales’s season total was when he was sent back down. Williams has never been known as a particularly strong batter, better noted for his defensive work. 

But some recent gaffes on the field have prompted more and more fans to question Williams’s standing with the team. 

Unfortunately for Gonzales, his road back to the Pirates might be tougher now thanks to the rise of Liover Peguero. 

Peguero, who took over at second base just about when Gonzales was first sent back down, has impressed since day one, and if he can continue to perform at his current rate, the Pirates have a stud second baseman for years to come. 

Shortstop would be the best option for Gonzales, but that’s only a temporary opening until 2024, when Oneil Cruz comes back from injury and reclaims his spot. 

Still, for the time being, Gonzales’s solid Triple-A play is tempting to want to see at the major league level once again. 

With the Pirates using September to see what they have in several players, and looking to evaluate talent for 2024, why not see what Gonzales can do now?

(Featured photo by Wilfredo Lee/AP)