St. Louis Cardinals: Nolan Gorman is putting on a show

St. Louis Cardinals top prospect Nolan Gorman has dazzled with his power so far, and he could have an effect on the big club soon.

The St. Louis Cardinals could have a star third baseman on their hands. Nolan Gorman has been terrorizing Low-A so far this season, hitting .393 in 28 at-bats with 11 hits and nine strikeouts. His struggles with the Low-A Peoria Chiefs last year where he hit .202 already seem like a distant memory.

Gorman was the 19th overall pick in the 2018 draft. He came from Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Phoenix, Arizona. Widely considered the best pure power hitter available, he has lived up to that billing so far. He already has four games where he has hit multiple home runs, and he hit his first two home runs of the season in a 10-6 loss for the Chiefs on Monday.

The Cardinals are planning to keep Gorman at third base for now. His defense isn’t spectacular, but he can hold his own at the hot corner. It will no doubt be his bat that gets him to the major leagues, and it seems more a question of when rather than if.

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But before fans get too hasty about promoting Gorman aggressively, they need to remember that he is only 18 years old and still needs to develop at the lower levels. The Cardinals rarely rush their prospects to the big leagues, and even if Gorman were to come up to the Cardinals tomorrow, he wouldn’t be in a great spot, roster-wise.

The infield is set for the Cardinals, as Matt Carpenter is the primary third baseman. He has shown that he can also play second base and first base, but those positions are occupied by Kolten Wong and Paul Goldschmidt, respectively. Right now, what Gorman needs is experience in the low levels of the system. But if he continues to show an aptitude for putting the bat on the ball, he could ascend quickly.

Gorman’s presence on the farm has the potential to do a lot for the team in terms of transactions. If Gorman pushes down the door to the big leagues sooner than expected, somebody could be shipped out to make room for him, and the Cardinals could go after a position of need. Even Gorman could be a trade chip if the Cardinals really want to go all in this year, but I would prefer the team holds on to him.

Carpenter’s recent extension shows that he likely isn’t going anywhere soon, so the Cardinals do appear to be taking it slow and steady with Gorman, as they should. I am excited for his arrival in St. Louis, and I think he could be a fixture in the middle of the lineup for years.