With Nolan Gorman and Matthew Liberatore getting the call to the major league team, the Cardinals are looking to add help to bolster this roster anywhere they can. Here’s what we can expect from the #2 and #3 prospects in the Cardinals farm system.
Nolan Gorman
Nolan Gorman is absolutely mashing the baseball in the minor leagues. He’s slashing .308/.367/.677 with 15 homers and 23 RBIs. He’s now getting his opportunity to make a difference at the big league level and will spend most of his time at second base. He now finds himself being the catalyst for a lineup that has been inconsistent all season long.
Before the fans harp on Gorman for what could be a bumpy road to start, let’s remember he’s only 22. He’s allowed to struggle. I don’t want to see a lot of finger-pointing if Gorman doesn’t become a mainstay in the Cardinals lineup. He’ll be okay, but let’s temper expectations.
I expect some of his power to translate over, but obviously not 15 HRs in 34 games. I expect his OBP to remain high given his BB% and can provide solid defense at 2B. I also expect him to strike out a tad bit and struggle against lefties. It’s truly unknown how well he’ll play to start, but let’s hope he continues his minor league prowess.
Matthew Liberatore
Matthew Liberatore getting the call-up kind of shocked me but hearing Marmol wanting to give the bullpen a rest makes sense. I don’t know how long the stay for Liberatore will be, as it could only be a start.
Liberatore has good secondary offerings but lacks upside due to a semi-flat fastball. He’s very polarizing as a pitcher and can shove for 6 innings or get blown up and out by the 1st. The tough thing about projecting Liberatore is frankly I don’t think we’ve seen enough. I personally don’t think he was ready for the call but hope he can produce and give solid innings for a Cardinals rotation that’s weak at the end.
I expect overall good things from the top prospects, but I’m not expecting them to be the reason we win a championship. I want to keep a level head with these guys and hope they can get adjusted to being in the big leagues. I will say, I am super pumped to get new fresh faces on the team, that have upside that’s intriguing.
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