Thursday Prospect Notes: 4/14/2022
by Tess Taruskin
April 14, 2022
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/thursday-pr ... 4-14-2022/
Nolan Gorman, 2B, St. Louis Cardinals
Level & Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis Age: 21 Overall Rank: 55 FV: 50
Line: 5-for-6, HR, K
Alec Burleson, OF, St. Louis Cardinals
Level & Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis Age: 23 Org Rank: TBD FV: 40
Line: 2-for-5, 2HR, BB, 2K, 6RBI
Juan Yepez, 1B, St. Louis Cardinals
Level & Affiliate: Triple-A Memphis Age: 24 Org Rank: TBD FV: 40
Line: 2-for-5, 2HR, BB, 6RBI
Notes
Given the group effort they put forth in a truly wild game in Charlotte last night, it seems only appropriate to write up the heart of the Memphis order all together. Gorman started what would turn into an 11-inning, 18-14 slug fest with a solo shot in the first; his remaining four hits were all singles to his pull side. His pitch selection was a little shaky, offering at balls out of his reach on a few occasions, including in his lone strikeout of the evening, but his ability to make contact was still a promising sign for his 2022 campaign.
While Gorman was collecting singles, Burleson and Yepez were launching long balls. Their four combined home runs were all three-run shots. Yepez’s contributions were both no-doubters; they looked like ping-pong balls jumping off the bat at launch angles that made absolutely no sense, reminding us just how hard he hits the ball. Yepez has clearly still got the pull-side pop that has garnered attention in the past, though he and Gorman are in a similar position in terms of the Cardinals having nowhere to put them, with first and third base occupied by Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt for the foreseeable future. Gorman seems to be shifting towards developing as a second baseman, but Yepez’s options are a good deal more limited, given that the Cardinals don’t have an obvious place to put him in the outfield corners, either. The introduction of the universal DH will likely play a big role in defining his future.
In contrast to Yepez’s dead-pull moonshots, Burleson’s first home run was to dead center field and his game-winner in the top of the 11th was an opposite field drive, just over the top of the left field fence. Burleson was a two-way player before being drafted; at the time, he would typically produce power to his pull-side. If his demonstrated ability to produce power to all fields is sustainable, it could mean an improved overall profile as he continues to focus his development on his hitting.
