Draft Profile: Nolan Gorman

May 28th, 2018

With the 2018 Draft fast approaching (June 4-6 on MLB Network and MLB.com), we take a closer look at the top prospects in this year's class.
:: 2018 Draft coverage ::
Name: Nolan Gorman
Position: 3B
School: O'Connor (Ariz.) HS
Rank on Draft Top 20012
DOB: 5/10/2000
Bats: 
Throws: R
Height: 6'1" 
Weight: 210 lbs.
College commitment: Arizona
Tools
(Future grades on 20-80 scouting scale)
Hit: 50 | Power: 60 | Run: 40 | Arm: 50 | Field: 50 | Overall: 55
Top 20 Draft Prospects profiles
Stats
32 G, .421/.641/.894, 52 R, 10 HR, 4 SB
Scouting report 
If a player's Draft status was tied directly to home run derby performances, Gorman might be the No. 1 pick in the Draft.
The Arizona prep infielder took long ball crowns at the MLB All-Star Game High School Home Run Derby in Miami and at the Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field in Chicago. The left-handed hitter has as much raw power as anyone in the class, with some scouts giving him as high as a 70 grade on the 20-to-80 scale. And his power does show up in games, though he didn't swing the bat consistently well all summer. There are some holes in his swing, which will lead to some swing and miss at-bats, but those who have seen him when he's locked in have seen his ultra-quick hands and bat speed. He did show that he can make hard contact against good competition at times over the summer, though he's been a bit inconsistent this spring.
One concern was whether he could stick at third, and while Gorman showed well at the hot corner at a variety of summer events, some of those worries did resurface this spring. If a scouting director saw Gorman at the right time, he might think of the University of Arizona commit as a top-10 pick and one of the best high school hitters in the country. Even with an up-and-down senior season, he still looks like one of the better power-hitting prospects in the class.
MLB comp: Hank Blalock
Fun fact: Gorman's childhood best friend is Matthew Liberatore, a left-handed pitcher who is No. 4 on MLB Pipeline's list of the Top 200 Draft Prospects. The two share many fond memories. Not only did they play baseball together growing up, but they also hung out off the field. They would go to one another's houses and play video games, ping pong and wiffle ball.
He said it: "I have a good support system at home," Gorman said. "My dad, my mom, grandparents … With them in my corner, it's been pretty easy just to focus on baseball and getting better. The outside talk, you see everything on social media. It's kind of hard to get away from that if you have it. But the best thing to do is just read it, ignore it, move on and play the game."
--Gorman, to the Arizona Republic
They said it: "His sophomore year, we went on a little playoff run and he was hitting some balls out of [Angels Spring Training facility] Tempe Diablo Park, which is a huge yard. I think he hit three home runs in the playoffs for us. That's kind of the moment we knew, 'Man, this kid's not just good, he's great. He's going to have a chance to play somewhere.' I think he just kept going on from there and he's been a special player with some of the towering bombs he's hit."
--O'Connor coach Jeff Baumgartner