2018 MLB Draft: St. Louis Cardinals select Nolan Gorman with 19th overall pick

With the 19th pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected third baseman Nolan Gorman out of Sandra Day O’Connor High School in Arizona. In recent mock drafts, Gorman was projected to go 10th by Keith Law of ESPN and 12th by Baseball America.

Gorman’s carrying tool is without question his power which, in terms of raw power, may be the best in the class. He has put on shows throughout last summer and this spring with his ability to turn on pitches, including those from quality competition, and send them a long, long way. The ball comes off his bat that gives one heart palpitations and he has the bat speed to catch up with and drive elite velocity. Even when he doesn’t barrel a ball, he has the strength to get the ball deep into the outfield if not over the fence anyways. He has a big, strong frame that should both bode well for his durability going forward and also shows that the power he has shown isn’t a fluke...the guy is a beast and he shows it in games often.

There are a couple of questions with Gorman. He does have some swing and miss concerns, but no more than with most high school power hitters. Nolan had some down periods this spring as a result of his contact issues, but the overall body of work is quite good. Some also feel like he may not be able to stick at third base. He doesn’t have great range or a great arm, but there are enough people that believe that the combination of his work ethic and better athleticism than you would think with a guy of his build that he should at least be average there. Even if he grows out of the position and has to move to left field or first base, the power should be able to play there.

Video courtesy of Fangraphs