ST. LOUIS — Nolan Gorman isn't a name that needs an introduction for most Cardinals fans.
Drafted by the Cardinals with the 19th overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, Gorman has been on fans' radar for a while.
A power-hitting, left-handed bat, Gorman has flashed his prodigious power in the minors for the past few seasons, racking up 57 home runs in three seasons, coming into 2022.
This year, he's off to one of the hottest starts of any player in the minor leagues.
Through 61 at-bats, Gorman is hitting an impressive .311 with an eye-popping OPS of 1.089. Gorman has 8 home runs and 11 RBI through 16 gameswith the AAA Memphis Redbirds. He's also scored 15 runs.
As of Tuesday, Gorman is third in the International League in OPS, and is tied for the second-most home runs in all of minor league baseball. Fellow Cardinals prospect Moises Gomez actually has the most home runs in minor league baseball, with 10 as of Tuesday evening. Gomez is currently playing for the Springfield Cardinals at the AA level.
So, how could Gorman factor into the big league team's plans?
A third baseman out of high school, Gorman has made the move over to second base, with Nolan Arenado likely to command the hot corner in St. Louis for quite a while.
Gorman has played 13 games at second base in Memphis so far in the 2022 season. He's made two errors in 113 innings. Gorman has also seen some playing time at designated hitter for Memphis, which of course, is now a position the Cardinals can utilize in the National League.
Gorman is currently the Cardinals' No. 2 ranked prospect according to MLB.com. Nineteen-year-old third baseman Jordan Walker, who is currently in Springfield, is the team's top-ranked prospect in 2022.