The Pirates select second baseman Nick Gonzales seventh overall in the 2020 MLB Draft

With the 7th pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, the Pirates have selected infielder Nick Gonzales out of New Mexico State.

One of the absolute best bats in the 2020 Draft, New Mexico State’s Nick Gonzales mashed his way into consideration for a top 5 pick over the last year or so. While his home stadium had a bit of a reputation as being offensively friendly, a very strong campaign in the wood bat Cape Cod League last summer got a lot of teams’ attention with big time numbers. In terms of pure hitting ability combined with power, Gonzales ranks with the absolute best bats in the entire draft with very quick hands, plus bat speed, and a chance for big time power numbers.

His defensive home is a bit up in the air. Most scouts feel like he can handle second base, although that is far from a certainty that he can stay in the infield. Sometimes, he looks like a guy that could handle any position in the infield, and other times he looks like a guy that should look for a career in a corner outfield spot, although that isn’t a huge issue as the bat should play there. As a result, the lack of certainty about his defensive future and a little bit of inconsistency at the plate has his stock as varied among teams although everyone agrees that the bat alone makes him a top 10 talent.