Pirates second baseman Nick Gonzales is not a rookie.

No, the 25-year-old, selected seventh overall in the 2020 MLB Draft, debuted for Pittsburgh in 2023. In 35 games, Gonzales batted .209 with 24 hits–including eight doubles, one triple and two home runs–and 13 RBI.

There was concern about his future. Would Gonzales be another of the Pirates position players who didn’t develop into a star or even a decent contributor at the major league level?

That remains to be seen, of course, but the future does seem brighter for Gonzales after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on May 9. In 58 games, Gonzales is batting .264 with 58 hits–including 12 doubles, two triples and five home runs–and 37 RBI.

The 37 RBI are especially impressive. Averaged out over 162 games, that would be 103 runs driven in. Not bad for a second baseman, especially one who is listed at 5-9 and 190 pounds. Guys that size aren’t normally expected to drive in runs. Instead, they’re supposed to set the table.

But Gonzales, who batted fourth in the first of a three-game weekend series vs. the Phillies at PNC Park on Friday night, has a knack for hitting when the stakes are high. According to his splits, Gonzales is hitting .280 with two outs and runners in scoring position. Now, that’s pretty clutch, which is why it’s so weird that he’s only hitting .192 when the game is late and close.

Tied at seven in the bottom of the ninth, Friday’s game against Philadelphia couldn’t have been later or closer. Shortstop Oneil Cruz had just driven in a run on a fielder’s choice to tie things up. In stepped Gonzales, who was 0 for 4 with an RBI up to that point. Andrew McCutchen was on third base with one out. Not Gonzales’s ideal clutch opportunity, but he still came through with a single to win the game in walk-off fashion.

Full disclosure, Gonzales has struggled a good bit since his hot start and is hitting just .228 over his last 21 games. But he’s hanging in there. He’s still coming through in clutch moments, as evidenced by Friday night’s heroics.

More people should be talking about Gonzales, and maybe they will now that the Pirates, who have won five straight and seven of eight, are one game over .500 (49-48) and just one-half game out of the third wildcard spot in the National League.

It’s hard for any other young Pirates player to get airtime with Paul Skenes, the generational rookie pitcher, rightfully being the focus of the baseball world in 2024. Heck, even Jared Jones, another rookie pitching phenom, is more of a household name than Gonzales–including in the homes in Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania.

But Nick Gonzales is a bright spot and a reminder that the Pirates also have promising young offensive players.