ST. LOUIS — Ever since he was drafted in 2018, St. Louis Cardinals' prospect Nolan Gorman has been ranked in the top three on the organization's prospects ranking list.
Still, many St. Louis baseball fans don't know who he is. A recent trade changed all of that.
When the team traded for Rays prospect Matthew Liberatore, Gorman made social media waves for being the pitcher's best friend and fellow stunt performer.
A video of the two men pulling off a daring trick in the basement of one of their homes, Liberatore turning and firing a small sponge ball as fast as he could with Gorman catching it while seamlessly turning around as the ball came in, went viral around Cardinal Nation.
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Gorman is hoping the two of them can pull a few more tricks in St. Louis. When asked what fans should expect out of Liberatore, Gorman referenced an animal most would attach to veteran pitcher, Adam Wainwright. "They got an aggressive bulldog on the mound," Gorman said of Liberatore.
The two of them have always been on the same team, but it was still a little exciting to see the trade take place.
When it came to his own ability, Gorman likened himself to former New York Mets legend, David Wright. "That's a guy I want to emulate my game after. On and off the field, he's been a great guy. A great defensive third baseman and offensively as well," Gorman noted.
2019 was Gorman's first full season in the minor leagues, and he picked up a few things along the way. "The biggest thing was how to take care of my body properly and last a whole season. I've never had to play every single day," Gorman said.
When asked about his future goals, Gorman's comments mirrored the ones he learned in his first season: He wants to stay healthy, be productive, and improve.
For Gorman, there's an open base waiting for him at third base when he does arrive in St. Louis. But there's so much in flux for the Cardinals each year, so he's open to playing wherever they need him. "I've played third base my whole year, but if I am in the big leagues and they want me to play first or the outfield, I just want to be on the field," Gorman said.
Here's the thing. Gorman is going to play on a Major League baseball team eventually, whether it's in St. Louis or not.
The Matt Carpenter extension gave the team and player a couple extra years to figure out how that will go down. The "find out" period is always an interesting endeavor for both sides, but answers do arrive as a result.
Remember this. Gorman is doing his homework, waiting for his moment, and isn't confining himself to one position. He's the number two prospect behind Carlson and has every intention of making the big club.
In the mean time, he wants to face off against Liberatore in the spring. "I want to take him deep. Someone needs to set that up."