Gorman goes 4-for-4 in Chiefs loss

Nolan Gorman's second stint with Class A Peoria won't last long if he continues to hit like he did on Friday night.
The top Cardinals prospect went 4-for-4 with three extra-base hits and a pair of RBIs in the Chiefs' 10-4 loss to Cedar Rapids at Perfect Game Field.

Gameday box score
Gorman doubled to the left field wall in the first inning, then smacked an RBI triple past center fielder DaShawn Keirsey in the third. Another RBI double in the sixth gave MLB.com's No. 60 overall prospect his third extra-base hit with a two-strike count, this one down the right field line. Gorman came around to score and poked a single up the middle in the eighth to cap his perfect night. It was his third career four-hit game and first outside the Appalachian League.
"At 18, it's impressive what he can do on the field," Chiefs manager Erick Almonte told the Peoria Journal Star this week. "We have a lot of expectations for him. Fans have a lot of expectations for him. I don't want to see him move up if he has a good start here. But he won't be here long. This kid can hit the ball hard. He's really the big deal."
The Cardinals knew as much when they used the 19th pick of last year's Draft on Gorman, making him the first player born in the 2000s ever selected. The early returns showed a hitter mature beyond his years. Gorman debuted with Rookie Advanced Johnson City, where he put up a .350/.443/.664 slash line in 38 games. The third baseman posted a 14.4 percent walk rate and mashed 22 extra-base hits, half of which were home runs.
A well-deserved promotion to Peoria did not produce the same results. The power was there as Gorman clubbed six homers in 94 at-bats, but he hit .202 with 39 strikeouts.
"I worked on my whole game last year -- the physical and mental part of it," Gorman told the newspaper. "I'm really strong with the mental part of the game right now. It's a big part of the game."
Two games into 2019, Gorman has backed up his claims of progress. The four-hit game followed a 1-for-5 effort during which he struck out twice on Opening Night.
Tweet from @peoriachiefs: Tough loss for the #Chiefs tonight on the road to the Kernels. But hats off to our Pekin Insurance Player of the Game, @NolanGorman who went 4-4 with 2 doubles & a triple. Check out the audio highlights ������������������https://t.co/1gT3SVBUqW #PTownProud #NewEraNewFun pic.twitter.com/GfHb1gxQcp
Friday's rebound for Gorman followed in the spirit of what the Cardinals liked about him this spring. In 10 Grapefruit League at-bats, he logged a lone hit -- it came against five-year big league veteran Kyle Barraclough and landed over the fence. That's good sign for those hoping Gorman's 70-grade power will translate through the Minor Leagues and beyond.
"This speaks to his ability to pay attention, ever since he got in the organization," Cardinals manager Mike Shildt told reporters that day. "Every day that we created an experience for Nolan, Nolan took advantage of it. Every day is an experience for these guys. All of the feedback we get from guys in the [farm] system is he takes advantage of a better version of himself every day."

It could be a few years before Gorman brings that attitude to Busch Stadium -- he doesn't turn 19 until next month. But if Friday's showing was any indication, the ups and downs of what's ahead won't be too much to handle.
"The goal is to get to St. Louis as quick as possible," he told the newspaper. "I've got to prove I'm ready for that level of play. I'll do whatever I have to do every day to work my way there."
Keirsey, the Twins' No. 27 prospect, contributed three RBIs for the Kernels, going 2-for-4 at the dish. Ben Rodriguez went 3-for-5 and also drove in three runs.