Nick Gordon is hot at the plate

[JeJe66]

Average is up to .260. Has hit into 17 DPs but has 21 stolen bases.

 

Here's a story on his incremental if unspectacular development.

 

http://thegazette.com/subject/sports/blogs/diamonds-and-ice-by-jeff-johnson/its-a-process-for-kernels-shortstop-gordon-20150711

 

 

 

 

 

[blairpaul715]

People seem to be down on him, but I am excited about his prospects, he is adjusting well to being a professional, i can only imagine if the Twins fanatics had Alex Jackson to complain about he hit .158 in low A before being sent down to Extended spring training and now is in rookie ball for Seattle.

[Mike Sixel]

People seem to be down on him, but I am excited about his prospects, he is adjusting well to being a professional, i can only imagine if the Twins fanatics had Alex Jackson to complain about he hit .158 in low A before being sent down to Extended spring training and now is in rookie ball for Seattle.

Or TreaTurner.......but ya, Gordon is looking like he is adjusting

[Badsmerf]

I don't see it. He is a skinny kid that doesn't square balls up. Maybe he needs to get stronger, but not being able to hit yourself out if a wet paper sack in low a doesn't equate to mlb success. He doesn't have to hit a bunch of hr, but at least hot some doubles. How does he have so many steals but is unable to stretch singles to doubles? My only answer is weak contact.

 

He is still young, but so are a lot of guys in low a. Hicks had to repeat the level and did pretty well the next season so there is hope. Hicks also had drawn a ton of walks.

[blairpaul715]

 

Or TreaTurner.......but ya, Gordon is looking like he is adjusting

I was actually hoping for Turner, but I am happy with Gordon.

[blairpaul715]

 

I don't see it. He is a skinny kid that doesn't square balls up. Maybe he needs to get stronger, but not being able to hit yourself out if a wet paper sack in low a doesn't equate to mlb success. He doesn't have to hit a bunch of hr, but at least hot some doubles. How does he have so many steals but is unable to stretch singles to doubles? My only answer is weak contact.

He is still young, but so are a lot of guys in low a. Hicks had to repeat the level and did pretty well the next season so there is hope. Hicks also had drawn a ton of walks.

So would you rather have Alex Jacksons first year success over Gordon? Top 2 high school position players taken in the draft i believe, many think Jackson is the better prospect, and that may be true, but the stats are not backing that up, but it is really yr 1 for both of them............People we cant have a Buxton to draft every year, I think our expectations are way to high for a 1st yr high school drafted kid playing in low A when most are playing rookie league ball.

[clutterheart]

Gordon really struggled in May. It looked like he was taking a huge step back and if he continued he might be in E-Town right now.

Instead he made an adjustment and has come around. Its encouraging that he can make that adjustment and he is having some success. Players who can adapt and change are the ones who make it and so I am pleased he is getting it done.

[Seth Stohs]

Gordon is now hitting .340 over a 12 game hitting streak.

[Badsmerf]

Gordon is now hitting .340 over a 12 game hitting streak.

In that steak is 4 2b, 2bb and 6so. Not a bad steak for him at all. He doesn't have to hit for a ton of power, but he needs to be able to draw walks.

 

I was thinking about this last night. He is reminding me a little if span when he was a prospect. Span barely had any extra base hits when he was young, but he learned to work the count and eventually started driving the ball. He was also very skinny when he started with the twins.

[diehardtwinsfan]

given his age, I'd hope Gordon is getting a lot of doubles.  Those will translate a bit more as he gains strength.  Span (offensively) might actually be a pretty good comp.  Not bad out of a SS.

[drjim]

 

In that steak is 4 2b, 2bb and 6so. Not a bad steak for him at all. He doesn't have to hit for a ton of power, but he needs to be able to draw walks.

I was thinking about this last night. He is reminding me a little if span when he was a prospect. Span barely had any extra base hits when he was young, but he learned to work the count and eventually started driving the ball. He was also very skinny when he started with the twins.

 

I like this comp, but I think Gordon moves quicker than Span ultimately did.

 

Gordon will be interesting over the next two years, he has the necessary skills but really does need to put on some good size. He is still 19.

[Seth Stohs]

 

In that steak is 4 2b, 2bb and 6so. Not a bad steak for him at all. He doesn't have to hit for a ton of power, but he needs to be able to draw walks.

I was thinking about this last night. He is reminding me a little if span when he was a prospect. Span barely had any extra base hits when he was young, but he learned to work the count and eventually started driving the ball. He was also very skinny when he started with the twins.

 

As others have noted, I think that this is a pretty good comp. Gordon is quite skinny, though he has already added about 15 pounds of muscle before spring training started (not sure if he's been able to keep it on during the season). He'll grow and mature and he'll certainly work. 

 

I think that the Buxton situation may have set an unrealistic expectation for what first rounders out of high school do. Few get to that level. Speaking of Span, he signed late and spent his first pro season at E-Town.  So Gordon is ahead of that by a year.

 

I think his ability to come back after the slow middle has been impressive. His defense has been strong all along.

[Badsmerf]

Without watching him it's impossible to grade him based on stats. Are his singles hard hit or dribblers through holes? Is he regularly squaring balls up? How is his approach?

 

I remember when span started slow and didn't have any extra base hits. We all anticipated a slap hitter. When he came up we saw a professional approach and the ability to drive the ball. I hope that is what will happen with gordon.

[Thrylos]

Good to see that Gordon is doing better at the plate, but I am not sure that his tools are much more than speed.  Never liked the pick, thought that his ceiling is Ben Revere and that the Twins can do better.  One thing that the writeup fails to mention, is that Gordon is not even the best SS at Cedar Rapids right now.  That would be Venezuelan Rafael Valera who is just a year older than Gordon...

 

We shall see, but Gordon needs to make the turn soon, if he does not want to find himself in Nico Goodrum territory...

[Trov]

I am wondering why so much is put on his offense.  He has a good enough on base percentage if he can have a good glove at short.  Also, it is important to see how he is improving over the year, not what his overall numbers are.  His May was terrible, but since then it has been much better.

[Badsmerf]

Because defensive short stops aren't hard to find. He was a high draft pick and that comes with high financial obligation and higher expectations. Just the way it works. You don't draft someone at the top of the draft and hope for them to be a fringe mlb player, you are drafting with the hope of at least a solid regular.

 

The results haven't been there yet. I'm skeptical about his status as a prospect. But i only have box scores and scouting reports to go by. He is still young so i don't think anybody is writing him off.

[DaveW]

It took Dee Gordon a few years of development as well before he started picking it up (and he was 20 when he was drafted)

Patience is needed with Nick, hopefully come 2018 we are talking about him knocking on the door.

[DaveW]

 

 

Good to see that Gordon is doing better at the plate, but I am not sure that his tools are much more than speed.  Never liked the pick, thought that his ceiling is Ben Revere and that the Twins can do better.  One thing that the writeup fails to mention, is that Gordon is not even the best SS at Cedar Rapids right now.  That would be Venezuelan Rafael Valera who is just a year older than Gordon...

 

We shall see, but Gordon needs to make the turn soon, if he does not want to find himself in Nico Goodrum territory...

If Ben Revere was at SS he would be a pretty damn good SS.

[ashbury]

If Ben Revere was at SS he would be a pretty damn good SS.

If two-hopping it to the first baseman can be counted as good.

[GACbaseball]

A career .292 hitter would be fantastic at shortstop, especially with how his arm and glove should progress. Gordon already has a home run, so he's displaying much more raw power than Ben Rever

[nytwinsfan]

 

Good to see that Gordon is doing better at the plate, but I am not sure that his tools are much more than speed.  Never liked the pick, thought that his ceiling is Ben Revere and that the Twins can do better.  One thing that the writeup fails to mention, is that Gordon is not even the best SS at Cedar Rapids right now.  That would be Venezuelan Rafael Valera who is just a year older than Gordon...

 

We shall see, but Gordon needs to make the turn soon, if he does not want to find himself in Nico Goodrum territory...

Can't say that I would make the pick again in retrospect, and I get where you are coming from, but if you look on some of the previous threads about Gordon you will see recent links to scout after scout that says his hit tool is at least average (which is good for a SS) and that his defense, arm and speed are all above average to plus. Not a one is worried about any tool except for his power, and some of them even think that will improve significantly (although never enough to make him a power threat). Could all the scouts be wrong? Of course. But they are clearly seeing things that are not coming out in the numbers yet.

[Pitz]

 

If Ben Revere was at SS he would be a pretty damn good SS.

 

I was thinking the same thing. I'd definitely take Revere's offense from a solid defensive SS (which of course means he needs a stronger arm than Revere). Sure I hope Gordon develops a bit more "pop" than Revere, but Revere's offense would be very useful out of a shortstop. 

[howieramone2]

 

Good to see that Gordon is doing better at the plate, but I am not sure that his tools are much more than speed.  Never liked the pick, thought that his ceiling is Ben Revere and that the Twins can do better.  One thing that the writeup fails to mention, is that Gordon is not even the best SS at Cedar Rapids right now.  That would be Venezuelan Rafael Valera who is just a year older than Gordon...

 

We shall see, but Gordon needs to make the turn soon, if he does not want to find himself in Nico Goodrum territory...

Maybe because it's not true.

[tobi0040]

 

Good to see that Gordon is doing better at the plate, but I am not sure that his tools are much more than speed.  Never liked the pick, thought that his ceiling is Ben Revere and that the Twins can do better.  One thing that the writeup fails to mention, is that Gordon is not even the best SS at Cedar Rapids right now.  That would be Venezuelan Rafael Valera who is just a year older than Gordon...

 

We shall see, but Gordon needs to make the turn soon, if he does not want to find himself in Nico Goodrum territory...

 

I didn't like the pick either.  Seemed very safe with very limited upside.  It is hard not to just say I told you so but at the same time it has been a few months.  Berrios in his first full year had a 3.99 ERA with one k and inning.  Not exactly dominant and then it clicked for him.

 

Regarding the Span comp, Span takes a ton of BB's.  I don't think this kid will ever walk nearly as much.

 

[tobi0040]

 

Maybe because it's not true.

 

So far this year he has been better offensively.  Valera .726 OPS, Gordon .649.  But Valera only has 70 AB to Gordon's 250

[Pitz]

 

Good to see that Gordon is doing better at the plate, but I am not sure that his tools are much more than speed.  Never liked the pick, thought that his ceiling is Ben Revere and that the Twins can do better.  One thing that the writeup fails to mention, is that Gordon is not even the best SS at Cedar Rapids right now.  That would be Venezuelan Rafael Valera who is just a year older than Gordon...

 

We shall see, but Gordon needs to make the turn soon, if he does not want to find himself in Nico Goodrum territory...

 

What makes Valera a better prospect? Not saying you're wrong, but the major scout/media outlets disagree with you and the Twins seem to as well. Can you say a bit more to provide some support for your statement beyond the "..."?

 

Goodrum spent 3 years in the rookie leagues before making it to A ball. Gordon has made that jump much more quickly, so I don't really understand your second statement either. 

[DaveW]

 

If two-hopping it to the first baseman can be counted as good.

He would be the 7th best offensive SS this year in terms of OPS+ and wRC+, also Gordon seems to be pretty dang good defensively as well. If he "turns out" like Revere at the plate then we have a pretty nice SS on our hands. Not an all star or anything, but someone who can actually stick.

 

But even this is silly, the kid is super young and super raw, it's way too early to say one way or another who or what he will be.

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

It took Dee Gordon a few years of development as well before he started picking it up (and he was 20 when he was drafted)

Patience is needed with Nick, hopefully come 2018 we are talking about him knocking on the door.

It took Dee Gordon a few years in MLB (669 PA) before he became an all-star.  But he was a .300 hitter from the get-go in the minors, although as you note he was 2 years older than Nick.

[Otto von Ballpark]

Interesting thing about Span, his career MLB AVG and OBP are almost identical to his career MiLB marks.  He cut down on his K's a bit in MLB, though, and raised his ISO by .036.

[cmb0252]

Everyone take a deep breath and say these following words: minor league baseball is for development not stats. The fact that people are already writing off a 19 year old in low A because of his stats is literally insane.