It’s Never Too Early to Discuss the Draft – Nolan Gorman

As I write these draft profiles, I omit players that I don’t believe have any chance to get the Royals selection at 18. Let’s face it I could gush about Casey Mize, Ethan Hankins, Matt Liberatore and others, but there is no point; this is about who makes sense for the Royals. This latest player is one early in the process that I didn’t expect to be writing about as a prep hitter that I felt would go far too high for the Royals selection in the 1st round, but as more and more mocks and rankings land he appears to be a possibility of being available at their selection point.

This player checks plenty of boxes in his evaluation as a third baseman with big-time future and present power. Despite not turning 18 years old until May, the body already looks well developed and should gets stronger as he ages and matures further down the line. The power is near the top of the scale in this draft among his peers, grading as a high as a 70 among scouts. As you can see with this swing on a 96 MPH fastball on the inner half against Mason Denaburg, the swing isn’t big or jerky, he can keep it smooth while bringing his hands in.

There is some swing and miss with the hit tool which one would expect from a power hitter with an uphill swing at an early age, but the swing is compact enough that contact shouldn’t be a problem as he gets more reps into his development. Defensively he has soft hands which should work at third base no problem and while his arm isn’t quite what Moustakas brings to the yard, it should be more than enough for the position considering his hands and movement. The speed is average and will likely be a tick below when all is said and done. All told, it will be the bat that carries Gorman to the big leagues should he get there with a potential 50-60 hit tool and 70 power tool making him a potential middle of the order bat.

Who the Royals may like – While I’m a Gorman, fan I could see Lonnie Goldberg being more interested in Jordan Groshans of Magnolia, Texas. The tools are similar with Groshans possessing a little more athleticism and arm strength while the power lags behind a tick despite his 6’4 190 lbs. frame. The age difference is a slight checkmark against him in my book with Groshans being six months older than Gorman. Currently, Jordan’s brother plays baseball at Kansas, so the family is familiar with the area even if he wouldn’t arrive in Kansas City for another four to five years. The attractive part to the Royals that would fit in well with others in the organization is the off the field activity where Groshans is a 4.0 student with a high level of maturity. This isn’t to say that Gorman doesn’t possess that as well, but it stands out to evaluators when discussing Groshans. I personally lean to the ultimate upside, and I see more in Gorman’s big power game than the average tools across the board in this Kansas commit.

Previous Draft Articles
Logan Gilbert, Jordyn Adams, Joe Gray Jr.
Alec Bohm, Greyson Jenista, Isaiah Campbell, Blaine Knight
Griffin Roberts
Mason Denaburg, Carter Stewart
Jarred Kelenic
Bryce Montes De Oca, Cam McMillan
Tristan Beck
Jimmy Herron
Ryan Weathers
Brice Turang
Griffin Conine
Kumar Rocker
Travis Swaggerty