SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (KMOX) - The St. Louis Cardinals offseason started with a bang (not the Chris Taylor one).
In the first Arizona Fall League game that player from the Cardinals organization participated in, the team's No. 1 prospect Nolan Gorman was the star. He hit a three-run homer in the Glendale Desert Dogs 4-3 victory Wednesday night.
And it was a shot:
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Also in the game was outfielder Lars Nootbaar (0-2 with a BB, run and 2 Ks), first baseman Juan Yepez (0-3 with 4 runners left on base) and pitcher Zach Thompson, who threw perfect innings with five strikeouts.
It was a special night for Gorman because he was playing just about 30 minutes from his childhood home. He had family and friends in the stands who also saw him walk in his first at-bat, then make a nice pick at second base to take a hit away from an opponent.
Gorman is projected to become a genuine slugger in the big leagues. He was selected 19th overall by St. Louis in the 2018 draft and hit .279 with 25 home runs and 75 RBI in just 119 games (43 games at AA, 76 games at AAA) last season.
He will be in the mix for a spot on the Cardinals opening day roster come spring training and could be an option at DH for St. Louis, if the NL adopts the rule as part of a new collective bargaining agreement this offseason.
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