Nick Gordon - 2014

[Steve Lein]

With the #5 overall pick in the 2014 draft, the Minnesota Twins selected prep Shortstop Nick Gordon out of Florida.

 

For the Twins Daily Draft Preview story on Gordon, go here! (There is lots of good information I won't repeat in these links)

 

Uncharacteristically for the Twins, they sent Gordon directly to Elizabethton (high-rookie league) to start his pro career. They didn't even do that for Byron Buxton!

 

Gordon started out about as hot as one could, as he went 4-5 with a double and a walk in his first professional game.

 

And for most of the summer, he's continued to hit.

 

As of today (July 24th), in 28 games with the E-Twins, Gordon is batting .296/.346/.374 with 2 doubles, 2 triples, 1 home run, 11 RBI's, and is second on the team (and 3rd in the APPY league) with 26 runs scored. He also has drawn 8 walks and stolen 6 bases (in 9 tries).

 

Parker just the other day posted a great article about how Gordon is doing so far!

[Steve Lein]

Gordon has hit a bit of a wall, batting just .194 in his last 10 games, but has also scored 7 runs in that time frame.

 

For the year, his line now stands at:

 

.290/.340/.366, with 3 2B's, 2 3B's, 1 HR, 13 RBI, and 7 stolen bases in 32 games.

 

On defense, Gordon has committed 6 errors in 28 games at SS with a .953 fielding %.

 

For reference, other Twins SS prospects had the following fielding #'s in the rooking leagues:

 

Danny Santana(APPY): 8 errors in 27 games at SS, .925 fielding %.

Engelb Vielma (GCL): 11 errors in 36 games at SS, .924 fielding %.

[Steve Lein]

Gordon has continued to hover right around a .300 batting average since the last update.

 

In his last ten games going back to July 27th, he has hit .297/.325/500, with 2 doubles and a triple, and 5 RBI.  In two of his last three games he's collected 3 hits.

 

For his debut season, he is now batting .298/.341/.385.  Not too shabby!

[Mike Sixel]

Steil said in the interview that he'd probably be in CR next year. I've been a fan of this idea since March....continuing to think he was a good pick.

[Steve Lein]

Nick Gordon currently has a 5 game hitting streak, during which he is 7-23 with a double, 3 RBI, and 5 runs scored.

 

His 38 runs on the season lead the Elizabethton Twins, as do his 57 total hits, batting primarily from the 2-hole.

[Steve Lein]

Gordon has hit safely in 9 of his last 10 games, and during that period is 15-45 with six RBI.

 

After a blazing start to his pro career in June, with a .326/.362/.535 batting line in the month, Gordon cooled a bit in July, batting .269/.324/.280.

 

He has picked his average back up in August, and is batting .297/.320/.352 in 22 games with 3 doubles, a triple, and 11 RBI.

 

He's also stole 11 bases on the season, and has been caught 6 times.

 

Overall, his .291/.329/.357 line on the year is a very strong one for High School drafted prospect in his first pro season, at the highest rookie level.

 

The Twins front office has also been quoted recently that Gordon is likely to start next year at Cedar Rapids, which is a rarity for Twins prospects out of high school.

[Steve Lein]

Unfortunately for Nick Gordon his 2014 season, and likely much of his offseason, is over after he was struck by a pitch in Monday nights Appalachian League playoff game that broke his left index finger.

 

A tough ending for his first season, but it would be hard not to label it a success!

 

In 57 games on the year, he triple slashed .294/.333/.366, and led the E-Twins in Runs (46), Hits (69), and Total Bases (86).  He walked just 11 times compared to 45 strikeouts, but the K-rate is not bad and that's to be expected from a high school draftee.

 

He also slugged 6 doubles, 4 triples, 1 home run, with 28 RBI and stole 11 bases.

 

Over on MiLB.com, Gordon ranks as the Twins #6 prospect, the #7 shortstop prospect in all of baseball, and #40 overall prospect on their top 100 list.

 

The future is bright is Nick Gordon!

[Steve Lein]

It's behind their paywall, but Baseball America rated Nick Gordon as the #2 prospect on their offseason Appalachian League Top 20, that was published on September 26th:

 

http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/2014-appalachian-league-top-20-prospects-scouting-reports/

 

They seem to doubt his ability to stick at SS (far) more than anywhere else I've read/seen, citing a lack of "quick-twitch" athleticism for the position, but also note his "soft, sure hands" and "arm that is at least plus."