St. Louis Cardinals: Nolan Gorman is absolutely raking
St. Louis Cardinals first round draft pick Nolan Gorman has been on fire to start his professional career.
As the old saying goes, you only have one chance to make a first impression. St. Louis Cardinals first round draft pick, and the 19th overall selection, Nolan Gorman, has taken that saying to a different level.
Gorman was considered to be one of the top power threats in the game, a player who had displayed his raw power potential in winning home run derbies in high school and the Under Armour All American Game. There were questions about holes in his swing, and whether or not he would remain at third long term, but that power potential was too much for the Cardinals to pass on with the 19th selection.
Since signing, Gorman has displayed every bit of that pop. He annihilated the Appalachian League, posting a .350/.443/.664 batting line while slugging 11 homers and ten doubles in 167 plate appearances. He even displayed solid plate discipline, with a 22.1% strike out rate and a 14.4% walk rate.
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Understandably, Gorman was promoted, with the 18 year old moving up to Peoria Chiefs in the full season Midwest League. And just as understandably, he has struggled a bit, with 21 strikeouts in his 51 plate appearances in Peoria. However, he also has hit four homers in that time, showing that tremendous potential.
This is also going to be a tremendous learning experience for Gorman. The holes in his swing have been exposed at this increase in level, and he will need to make adjustments. Depending on how he takes to that coaching, and whether or not he can begin to make more consistent contact, will determine exactly how far he can go.
As it is, Gorman was compared to Hank Blalock prior to the draft. A former top prospect, Blalock was an impressive power hitter for the Rangers, hitting 86 homers and making two All Star Games in his first three full seasons, before back issues hampered his career. If Gorman can be the player that Blalock was when he was healthy, the Cardinals landed quite the impressive piece for the future.
Next. It's time to make Shildt the Cards manager. dark
Nolan Gorman has a long way to go before he is a potential major league piece. However, the early returns on the St. Louis Cardinals first round pick are impressive.