ST. LOUIS — It's been a while since we've seen Minor League Baseball. With the Minor League seasons wiped out last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, there was virtually no real in-game action for prospects to take part in.
Of course, each Major League club had their own alternate training site where possible big league additions and top prospects spent their time, but nothing is quite the same as actually facing another team.
The Minor Leagues opened around the country on Tuesday with real baseball for the first time since 2019, and two top Cardinals' prospects gave the fan base a few reasons to get fired up about the future.
Most Cardinals fans know the name "Nolan Gorman" by now, and when they think about the 20-year-old third baseman, his prodigious power likely comes to mind.
With Nolan Arenado now on board at third for the big league club, Gorman has been working out at other positions, such as second base, but on Tuesday night he debuted for Springfield at his natural position of third base. And in his Double A debut he made a play that had Cardinals fans comparing him to the Gold Glover currently manning the hot corner at Busch Stadium. He also had Cardinals Twitter buzzing.
Gorman did go 0-4 in the Springfield opening night loss, but fans will no doubt be treated to some of his impressive power as the season rolls along.
Another Cardinals third base prospect made even more noise on Tuesday.
Third base prospect Jordan Walker, whom the Cardinals drafted with the No. 21 overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft, made his professional debut on Tuesday for the Class A Palm Beach Cardinals. And he arrived with a bang.
On the first pitch he ever saw in professional baseball, Walker blasted a home run to left field. He added another hit later in the game as well.
Walker is still just 18 years old. The Cardinals drafted him out of high school in Georgia.