Going into every season, teams take a long hard look at some of their younger players to see if there are any that can make the jump to the majors and have success. Not every team finds success, but some do and it pays off.
This season, the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and New York Yankees each have some young players that their fan bases should be excited about for years to come. All three teams are not where they want to be, or expect to be in the standings nearing the first quarter mark of the 2023 season, but there are three young players that should get the fanbases excited.
St. Louis Cardinals: Nolan Gorman
Last season, Gorman slugged 14 home runs and 13 doubles in 89 games. This season, the first-round pick in 2018 is already at 13 extra-base hits, including eight home runs. He has settled into the middle of the Cardinals’ order and is slashing .255/.346/.518 with 24 RBI.
Gorman has power to all fields and that was on display in the Cardinals’ 6-4 win over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday when he launched a first-inning solo home run to left-center. He’s not going to leg out many infield singles, but he’s providing some thump in the middle of the St. Louis order that they need along with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado.
Even with Goldschmidt and Arenado, the Cardinals are still a dangerous team offensively and, if they can get their pitching in order, they can climb out of the basement in the NL Central. Gorman is just 23 years old and proving he’s going to be a contributor for the future and a player that St. Louis fans certainly should be excited about.