Konnor Griffin has consumed much of the attention at Pittsburgh Pirates spring training this year. All eyes are on MLB’s No. 1 prospect to see if he’ll make the Pirates’ Opening Day roster.
However, he’s not the only storyline at Pittsburgh’s camp in Bradenton, Florida. According to Pirates manager Don Kelly, there’s also an intense position battle raging between infielders Nick Gonzales and Nick Yorke.
Kelly described their competition in a recent interview with MLB Network.
“Nick Gonzales and Nick Yorke are two guys that are competing for a spot,” Kelly said. “The competition is fierce between the two of them. They’re both swinging the bat well, and they both came in in really, really good shape.”
Both are second basemen and were first-round draft picks in 2020. However, Gonzales would seem to have the inside track given that he’s a bit older and more experienced.
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Gonzales, 26, is heading into his fourth season with Pittsburgh. He was the team’s primary second baseman the last two years and held his own with the stick, batting .265/.305/.380 over the last two seasons combined.
Yorke, 23, is entering his third year with the Pirates but has only 33 games of MLB experience. The former top prospect is still looking to prove himself and realize his potential.
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Gonzales has had the much better spring thus far, batting .538/.571/.615 compared to Yorke’s .250/.348/.350 slash line. Given that, Gonzales appears likely to retain his role and win the Opening Day job.
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