Nolan Gorman Stats & Scouting Report

AB	365
AVG	.203
OBP	.271
SLG	.4
HR	19

Full name Nolan Brian Gorman
Born 05/10/2000 in Phoenix, AZ
Profile Ht.: 6'1" / Wt.: 210 / Bats: L / Throws: R
School O'connor
Debut 05/20/2022
Drafted in the 1st round (19th overall) by the St. Louis Cardinals in 2018 (signed for $3,231,700).

View Draft Report

Gorman has some of the best raw power in the 2018 draft class--college or high school--and raised his stock significantly over the summer. Gorman won multiple home run derbies and showed that his power played against some of the top pitching prospects in the game at a few of the bigger showcases, displaying easy plus power against mid-90s velocity. He was the talk of the scouting community after putting on an offensive show during USA Baseball's 18U National Team trials in late August against multiple college teams in Minnesota. Gorman was unanimously voted to BA's Preseason High School All-America team at third base by major league scouting directors and had positioned himself to be one of the first hitters taken in the draft. However, his stock fell a bit this spring, when scouts noted that Gorman looked stiffer defensively, creating more reason to believe that he would eventually need to move to first base. Additionally, Gorman has added to the questions surrounding his hit tool rather than answer them, particularly at USA Baseball's National High School Invitational, where he swung and missed often against offspeed pitches and also expanded his strike zone. He was one of just four batters at the event to swing and miss at least 10 times. While Gorman has had little trouble squaring up big-time velocity, he now has some significant questions about his ability to handle breaking pitches, as he also struggled in that domain during the World Baseball Softball Confederation's U-18 World Cup in Thunder Bay, Canada, where he hit .222/.241/.294 with 10 strikeouts and four walks. Still, when Gorman hits the ball he hits it harder than almost anyone in the class. He had the highest average exit velocity at the NHSI at 102.1 mph, with an exit velocity a tick harder against breaking balls, specifically. Defensively, teams are likely split on his eventual destination. He has an above-average arm that's likely plus and he showed impressive glove work at the hot corner with Team USA, making plays on the run and while off-balance. However, the increased stiffness he showed this spring won't help encourage those who already believed he would eventually move to first. While his hit tool is more difficult to project now than teams would have liked, his power is 70-grade or better and that should still get him taken somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Top Rankings

Organization Prospect Rankings

Track Record: The top prep power hitter in the 2018 draft class, Gorman spent the 2019 season at the Class A levels before impressing at 2020 spring training and spending the summer at the alternate training site, where he continued to stand out offensively. He made his upper minors debut in 2021 and put together his best year as a pro. Gorman led the Cardinals organization with 231 total bases and finished third with 25 home runs as he climbed from Double-A Springfield to Triple-A Memphis, and did it while lowering his strikeout rate the higher he climbed.

Scouting Report: Gorman transitioned from third base to second base after the Cardinals acquired Nolan Arenado from the Rockies before the season. He impressed the organization with his range and actions while continuing to work on improving his footwork turning double plays. He has plus arm strength and projects to be a fringe-average, but playable, defender at the keystone. Regardless of position, it’ll be Gorman’s bat that makes him an above-average everyday player. He has plus-plus raw power and can hit a home run out of any park. He destroys pitches down in the zone and consistently posts high exit velocities. Gorman is an aggressive hitter who doesn’t walk much and is prone to chasing, but he makes enough contact to regularly access his power.

The Future: Gorman is on track to be a middle-of-the order slugger who hits 30-35 home runs per year. He is in position to make his major league debut sometime during the 2022 season.
Hitting: 45. Power: 70. Running: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60.

TRACK RECORD: Gorman was considered the best high school power hitter in the 2018 draft class and was selected 19th overall by the Cardinals. He showcased his power immediately in his pro debut but scuffled as he advanced to the offense-suffocating Florida State League in 2019. Gorman stood out at 2020 spring training before camps shut down and spent the summer at the Cardinals’ alternate training site, where he was one of the top offensive performers.

SCOUTING REPORT: Gorman is the epitome of a modern power hitter. He strikes out and has holes in his swing, but he makes pitchers pay when they make a mistake. Gorman feasts on pitches down and makes balls disappear with his plus-plus power. He can be beat by fastballs up and needs to become more selective, but he hits lefties well for a young hitter and shows enough feel for contact to hit .240-.250 to go with his power production. Gorman has solid hands, a quick exchange and plus arm strength at third base, but his lateral range needs to improve for him to be average defensively. He’s a below-average runner.

THE FUTURE: Gorman has the chance to hit 30-plus home runs in the majors if he puts it all together. He’ll try to carry his gains from the alternate site forward to Double-A in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Gorman emerged early as the top power hitter in the 2018 draft class, winning the high school home run derby at Marlins Park and the Under Armour All-America home run derby at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals made him the the 19th overall pick and signed him for just over $3.2 million to forgo an Arizona commitment. Gorman got off to a scorching start with 24 home runs in his first 85 career professional games, but he cooled off and hit just eight home runs in his next 104 games. He still reached high Class A Palm Beach in his first full season as an 19-year-old.

SCOUTING REPORT: Muscular with a broad chest and strong hands, Gorman possesses the plus-plus raw power to makes balls disappear. He flashes the approach to get to his power, but he often gets too pull-oriented and uphill in his swing path, opening him up for strikeouts. He has the ingredients to be an average hitter as he improves his approach. Gorman makes the routine plays at third base with a quick exchange and an above-average arm, but he needs to improve his first-step quickness to become an average defender. He is somewhat stiff and a below-average runner.

THE FUTURE: Gorman has the power to hit in the middle of the lineup. He has time to improve his approach and show he can make adjustments.
Track Record: Gorman emerged early as the top power prospect in the 2018 draft. He won the high school home run derby during All-Star weekend at Marlins Park in 2017 and then won the Under Armour All-America home run derby at Wrigley Field a few weeks later. He continued to crush his senior year, headlined by a 400-plus foot shot in the Arizona 6A state playoffs. The Cardinals drafted Gorman 19th overall and signed him for $3,231,700 to forgo an Arizona commitment. He immediately delivered on his power promise, hitting 17 homers in his first 63 games while reaching low Class A Peoria.

Scouting Report: Gorman is as strong as any player his age. He displays easy, plus-plus power against mid-90s velocity, making balls disappear to right field. Gorman doesn't see lefthanders well and breaking balls give him trouble, but he adjusts quickly, shows power to all fields and makes enough contact to project for a .250-.260 average with 30-plus home runs per season. Gorman is a touch stiff at third base, leaving evaluators split whether he will stick there. His range plays up with a quick first step and reactions, but he'll have to maintain his body and agility to be an average defender. His arm strength is above-average, though a questionable arm action hurts his accuracy.

The Future: Gorman has the bat to be future middle-of-the-order mainstay regardless of position. He finished his debut at low Class A Peoria and will start back there in 2019.

Draft Prospects

Gorman has some of the best raw power in the 2018 draft class--college or high school--and raised his stock significantly over the summer. Gorman won multiple home run derbies and showed that his power played against some of the top pitching prospects in the game at a few of the bigger showcases, displaying easy plus power against mid-90s velocity. He was the talk of the scouting community after putting on an offensive show during USA Baseball's 18U National Team trials in late August against multiple college teams in Minnesota. Gorman was unanimously voted to BA's Preseason High School All-America team at third base by major league scouting directors and had positioned himself to be one of the first hitters taken in the draft. However, his stock fell a bit this spring, when scouts noted that Gorman looked stiffer defensively, creating more reason to believe that he would eventually need to move to first base. Additionally, Gorman has added to the questions surrounding his hit tool rather than answer them, particularly at USA Baseball's National High School Invitational, where he swung and missed often against offspeed pitches and also expanded his strike zone. He was one of just four batters at the event to swing and miss at least 10 times. While Gorman has had little trouble squaring up big-time velocity, he now has some significant questions about his ability to handle breaking pitches, as he also struggled in that domain during the World Baseball Softball Confederation's U-18 World Cup in Thunder Bay, Canada, where he hit .222/.241/.294 with 10 strikeouts and four walks. Still, when Gorman hits the ball he hits it harder than almost anyone in the class. He had the highest average exit velocity at the NHSI at 102.1 mph, with an exit velocity a tick harder against breaking balls, specifically. Defensively, teams are likely split on his eventual destination. He has an above-average arm that's likely plus and he showed impressive glove work at the hot corner with Team USA, making plays on the run and while off-balance. However, the increased stiffness he showed this spring won't help encourage those who already believed he would eventually move to first. While his hit tool is more difficult to project now than teams would have liked, his power is 70-grade or better and that should still get him taken somewhere in the middle of the first round.

Minor League Top Prospects

Gorman was one of the best sluggers in the league during his two months in Springfield. His 11 home runs in just 195 plate appearances—one home run every 17 PAs—was one of the best home run rates in the league. As a hitter, Gorman could be induced to expand his zone and chase by pitchers who preferred to stay away from giving him pitches to drive. The 21-year-old is a work in progress defensively, but that’s partly because Gorman is trying to learn a new position. With Nolan Arenado likely entrenched at third base in St. Louis, Gorman split time between second and third at Springfield before focusing mostly on second base in Triple-A. Gorman’s legs are already thickening , which limits his range, but he makes the routine plays.
On one hand, Gorman struck out 31.7 percent of the time with Palm Beach. On the other hand, he reached the league a little more than a year after he was drafted and just a month after he turned 19 years old. That extremely quick path to the most advanced level of the low minors might have caused the game to speed up a bit on Gorman, who still wows scouts with an impressive set of tools. A classic slugger, Gorman is gifted with elite raw power that scouts have pegged as a 75 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale and the ingredients to be an average hitter with further refinement. He spent his time with Palm Beach making adjustments that would allow him to dispatch his raw strength against the higher-velocity fastballs that were giving him trouble. There’s plenty of work to be done on defense as well, where he needs to improve his first-step quickness required to play third base. His hands are soft enough and his arm is plenty strong, but the range for the position hasn’t quite caught up. At 19 years old, he still has plenty of time to put everything together and reach his full potential.
In high school, Gorman was known for his tape-measure power, and the same holds true in pro ball for the 19th overall pick in 2018. While power comes easy, consistency has not. Gorman had racked up nine home runs by mid-May during the coldest stretch of the Midwest League season, but he would hit just six more in 92 games the rest of the way. “He’s hitting balls as hard as big leaguers right now at 18, 19 years old,” one scout said. “If he makes consistent contact, can he hit enough lefthanded pitching to be consistent? I’ve seen him do it, it’s just doing it consistently.” Defensive reviews of Gorman at third base improved this season. He expanded his range to complement an easy plus arm and faces many fewer questions about his future position.
The top prep power hitter in the 2018 draft class, Gorman dealt with increased criticism from scouts this spring. They questioned his frame and expressed concern about his tendency to swing and miss. Gorman’s pro debut, which began at Johnson City before moving quickly to low Class A Peoria, erased many of those concerns. Gorman had no problem translating his plus-plus raw power to games and was one of the best hitters in the Appy League at age 18. The lefthanded slugger dealt with a minor wrist injury during the season but showed the ability to make adjustments when he was in the lineup, though like all young sluggers he still has holes in his swing he will need to close. Gorman showed enough flashes defensively at third base--where he has a plus arm--to project at the position. A below-average runner, his quick first step supplies him with adequate range. Gorman’s power got him drafted 19th overall, and his 17 home runs in his first 63 pro games hint at his upside.

Top 100 Rankings

Best Tools List

Rated Best Power Hitter in the St. Louis Cardinals in 2020

Scouting Reports

Track Record: The top prep power hitter in the 2018 draft class, Gorman spent the 2019 season at the Class A levels before impressing at 2020 spring training and spending the summer at the alternate training site, where he continued to stand out offensively. He made his upper minors debut in 2021 and put together his best year as a pro. Gorman led the Cardinals organization with 231 total bases and finished third with 25 home runs as he climbed from Double-A Springfield to Triple-A Memphis, and did it while lowering his strikeout rate the higher he climbed.

Scouting Report: Gorman transitioned from third base to second base after the Cardinals acquired Nolan Arenado from the Rockies before the season. He impressed the organization with his range and actions while continuing to work on improving his footwork turning double plays. He has plus arm strength and projects to be a fringe-average, but playable, defender at the keystone. Regardless of position, it’ll be Gorman’s bat that makes him an above-average everyday player. He has plus-plus raw power and can hit a home run out of any park. He destroys pitches down in the zone and consistently posts high exit velocities. Gorman is an aggressive hitter who doesn’t walk much and is prone to chasing, but he makes enough contact to regularly access his power.

The Future: Gorman is on track to be a middle-of-the order slugger who hits 30-35 home runs per year. He is in position to make his major league debut sometime during the 2022 season.
Gorman was one of the best sluggers in the league during his two months in Springfield. His 11 home runs in just 195 plate appearances—one home run every 17 PAs—was one of the best home run rates in the league. As a hitter, Gorman could be induced to expand his zone and chase by pitchers who preferred to stay away from giving him pitches to drive. The 21-year-old is a work in progress defensively, but that’s partly because Gorman is trying to learn a new position. With Nolan Arenado likely entrenched at third base in St. Louis, Gorman split time between second and third at Springfield before focusing mostly on second base in Triple-A. Gorman’s legs are already thickening , which limits his range, but he makes the routine plays.
Hitting: 45. Power: 70. Running: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60.

TRACK RECORD: Gorman was considered the best high school power hitter in the 2018 draft class and was selected 19th overall by the Cardinals. He showcased his power immediately in his pro debut but scuffled as he advanced to the offense-suffocating Florida State League in 2019. Gorman stood out at 2020 spring training before camps shut down and spent the summer at the Cardinals' alternate training site, where he was one of the top offensive performers.

SCOUTING REPORT: Gorman is the epitome of a modern power hitter. He strikes out and has holes in his swing, but he makes pitchers pay when they make a mistake. Gorman feasts on pitches down and makes balls disappear with his plus-plus power. He can be beat by fastballs up and needs to become more selective, but he hits lefties well for a young hitter and shows enough feel for contact to hit .240-.250 to go with his power production. Gorman has solid hands, a quick exchange and plus arm strength at third base, but his lateral range needs to improve for him to be average defensively. He's a below-average runner.

THE FUTURE: Gorman has the chance to hit 30-plus home runs in the majors if he puts it all together. He'll try to carry his gains from the alternate site forward to Double-A in 2021.
Hitting: 45. Power: 70. Running: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60.

TRACK RECORD: Gorman was considered the best high school power hitter in the 2018 draft class and was selected 19th overall by the Cardinals. He showcased his power immediately in his pro debut but scuffled as he advanced to the offense-suffocating Florida State League in 2019. Gorman stood out at 2020 spring training before camps shut down and spent the summer at the Cardinals’ alternate training site, where he was one of the top offensive performers.

SCOUTING REPORT: Gorman is the epitome of a modern power hitter. He strikes out and has holes in his swing, but he makes pitchers pay when they make a mistake. Gorman feasts on pitches down and makes balls disappear with his plus-plus power. He can be beat by fastballs up and needs to become more selective, but he hits lefties well for a young hitter and shows enough feel for contact to hit .240-.250 to go with his power production. Gorman has solid hands, a quick exchange and plus arm strength at third base, but his lateral range needs to improve for him to be average defensively. He’s a below-average runner.

THE FUTURE: Gorman has the chance to hit 30-plus home runs in the majors if he puts it all together. He’ll try to carry his gains from the alternate site forward to Double-A in 2021.
Hitting: 45. Power: 70. Running: 40. Fielding: 45. Arm: 60.

TRACK RECORD: Gorman was considered the best high school power hitter in the 2018 draft class and was selected 19th overall by the Cardinals. He showcased his power immediately in his pro debut but scuffled as he advanced to the offense-suffocating Florida State League in 2019. Gorman stood out at 2020 spring training before camps shut down and spent the summer at the Cardinals’ alternate training site, where he was one of the top offensive performers.

SCOUTING REPORT: Gorman is the epitome of a modern power hitter. He strikes out and has holes in his swing, but he makes pitchers pay when they make a mistake. Gorman feasts on pitches down and makes balls disappear with his plus-plus power. He can be beat by fastballs up and needs to become more selective, but he hits lefties well for a young hitter and shows enough feel for contact to hit .240-.250 to go with his power production. Gorman has solid hands, a quick exchange and plus arm strength at third base, but his lateral range needs to improve for him to be average defensively. He’s a below-average runner.

THE FUTURE: Gorman has the chance to hit 30-plus home runs in the majors if he puts it all together. He’ll try to carry his gains from the alternate site forward to Double-A in 2021.
TRACK RECORD: Gorman emerged early as the top power prospect in the 2018 draft, winning the high school home run derby at Marlins Park and the Under Armour All-America home run derby at Wrigley Field. Gorman got off to a scorching start with 24 home runs in his first 85 career games, but he cooled off and hit just eight home runs in his next 104 games. He still reached high Class A Palm Beach in his first full season as an 19-year-old.

SCOUTING REPORT: Muscular with a broad chest and strong hands, Gorman possesses the plus-plus raw power to makes balls disappear. He flashes the approach to get to his power, but he often gets too pull-oriented and uphill in his swing path, opening him up for strikeouts. He has the ingredients to be an average hitter as he improves his approach. Gorman makes the routine plays at third base with a quick exchange and an above-average arm, but he needs to improve his first-step quickness to become an average defender. He is somewhat stiff and a below-average runner.

THE FUTURE: Gorman has the power to hit in the middle of the lineup. He has time to improve his approach and show he can make adjustments.
TRACK RECORD: Gorman emerged early as the top power hitter in the 2018 draft class, winning the high school home run derby at Marlins Park and the Under Armour All-America home run derby at Wrigley Field. The Cardinals made him the the 19th overall pick and signed him for just over $3.2 million to forgo an Arizona commitment. Gorman got off to a scorching start with 24 home runs in his first 85 career professional games, but he cooled off and hit just eight home runs in his next 104 games. He still reached high Class A Palm Beach in his first full season as an 19-year-old.

SCOUTING REPORT: Muscular with a broad chest and strong hands, Gorman possesses the plus-plus raw power to makes balls disappear. He flashes the approach to get to his power, but he often gets too pull-oriented and uphill in his swing path, opening him up for strikeouts. He has the ingredients to be an average hitter as he improves his approach. Gorman makes the routine plays at third base with a quick exchange and an above-average arm, but he needs to improve his first-step quickness to become an average defender. He is somewhat stiff and a below-average runner.

THE FUTURE: Gorman has the power to hit in the middle of the lineup. He has time to improve his approach and show he can make adjustments.
On one hand, Gorman struck out 31.7 percent of the time with Palm Beach. On the other hand, he reached the league a little more than a year after he was drafted and just a month after he turned 19 years old. That extremely quick path to the most advanced level of the low minors might have caused the game to speed up a bit on Gorman, who still wows scouts with an impressive set of tools. A classic slugger, Gorman is gifted with elite raw power that scouts have pegged as a 75 on the 20-to-80 scouting scale and the ingredients to be an average hitter with further refinement. He spent his time with Palm Beach making adjustments that would allow him to dispatch his raw strength against the higher-velocity fastballs that were giving him trouble. There’s plenty of work to be done on defense as well, where he needs to improve his first-step quickness required to play third base. His hands are soft enough and his arm is plenty strong, but the range for the position hasn’t quite caught up. At 19 years old, he still has plenty of time to put everything together and reach his full potential.
In high school, Gorman was known for his tape-measure power, and the same holds true in pro ball for the 19th overall pick in 2018. While power comes easy, consistency has not. Gorman had racked up nine home runs by mid-May during the coldest stretch of the Midwest League season, but he would hit just six more in 92 games the rest of the way. “He’s hitting balls as hard as big leaguers right now at 18, 19 years old,” one scout said. “If he makes consistent contact, can he hit enough lefthanded pitching to be consistent? I’ve seen him do it, it’s just doing it consistently.” Defensive reviews of Gorman at third base improved this season. He expanded his range to complement an easy plus arm and faces many fewer questions about his future position.
Gorman was arguably the top power prospect in the 2018 draft and signed for just over $3.2 million after the Cardinals drafted him No. 19 overall. Gorman has easy plus lefthanded power and gets to mid-90s velocity, although breaking pitches have given him trouble and evaluators question if he can stick at third base defensively. Even if he has to move to first base, Gorman has the power to profile there as long as he makes the expected gains as a hitter.