Nick Gonzales knew that the number he wore at New Mexico State wasn’t a consideration for the Pittsburgh Pirates, going so far as to remove images of himself wearing a Pirates jersey with No. 21 out of respect for the late Hall of Fame right fielder Roberto Clemente.
“I kind of assumed, so I tried to take it out of some of the pictures I had posted,” Gonzales said. “I didn’t want to do it any disrespect. Obviously, it’s a retired number and everything.”
After signing with the Pirates on Wednesday, their No. 1 draft pick lifted his jersey during a Zoom conference call to show he was wearing No. 20, symbolic of being their top pick in 2020. Only problem? That number is retired, too — for Hall of Fame third baseman Pie Traynor.
“I’ll wear any number,” Gonzales said, with a laugh. “I don’t mind.”
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— Pirates (@Pirates) June 24, 2020
Gonzales was too thrilled about accomplishing his baseball goals to worry about what number he’ll wear. Selected seventh overall in the first round of the MLB Draft, he signed for a $5,434,400 bonus and realized another dream by stepping onto the field at PNC Park for the first time.
Take it all in, @Nick_Gonzales13. pic.twitter.com/gdwdKkQQdZ
— Pirates (@Pirates) June 24, 2020
“It was so jaw-dropping, just to walk into this park and see how beautiful it is, see the city right behind center field,” Gonzales said. “The Clemente Bridge was unbelievable. Getting to step on the field was incredible for me. You can go to a park and see how beautiful it is, but it’s a little different when you actually are on the field. So, for me, that was really special.”
Gonzales flew in to Pittsburgh from Arizona via Las Vegas on Tuesday night, so he was still soaking in his new fortune. The 5-foot-10, 190-pound shortstop went from walk-on at New Mexico State to first-round pick in three years, only for his junior season to be interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic and for the MLB Draft to be conducted virtually.
What you need to know about @Nick_Gonzales13.#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/TqotojVwrt
— Pirates (@Pirates) June 11, 2020
He spent his time in quarantine lifting weights, working on his speed and the sweet swing that made him college baseball’s best hitter. The 2019 NCAA batting champion with a .432 average, Gonzales slashed .448/.610/1.155 and led the NCAA in home runs (12), RBIs (36), runs (28) and total bases (67) in 16 games this past season.
With no minor league season on the horizon, Gonzales doesn’t know exactly what his short-term future holds. He said he’s ready to join the Pirates, whether it’s next week for training camp or this fall in a league setting for top prospects.
“Coming out of college, obviously, you have a little quicker route,” Gonzales said. “I’m not really focused on that. I’m just focused on my development, getting around the right coaches and learning. Professional baseball is a little bit different than college ball. Just working toward my development and trusting the process for me is going to be huge. Definitely, stepping onto that major-league field, you can see it. It’s within your grasp. That was huge for me.”
