What Can Nick Gordon Do for an Encore?

Entering the 2022 season, expectations were low for Nick Gordon and what he could provide the Twins. The former top-five draft pick spent much of the last decade considered one of the organization's top prospects. He was on national top 100 lists from 2015-2018 and reached Triple-A as a 22-year-old. In 2019, injuries limited Gordon to 70 games, but he posted a .801 OPS to offer some hope for the future. 

Gordon likely should have made his big-league debut during the 2020 season, but he tested positive for COVID and missed time. He worked his way back and made his debut during the 2021 season. In 73 games, he hit .240/.292/.355 (.647) with nine doubles and four home runs. As a 25-year-old, the team likely considered removing him from the 40-man roster. Luckily, the Twins' front office showed faith in the former top prospect, and he rewarded that faith with a breakout 2022 season. 

Entering last season, Gordon figured to fit into a utility role with the potential to play multiple infield positions and even some outfield. Injuries forced many Twins players to take on new roles, and Gordon played the second most games on the team. He started more games in left field than any other Twins player and played 36 games or more at three different positions. Gordon's defensive versatility wasn't the only trait keeping him in the line-up. Many evaluators touted his offensive promise as a prospect, and he found his swing at the big-league level.

Offense was down across baseball, but Gordon showed skills at getting on base and hitting for power. In 138 games, he hit .272/.316/.427 (.743) with 28 doubles, four triples, nine home runs, and a 113 OPS+. Some of those numbers can be fluky, but some of his underlying totals also pointed to a breakout. He ranked in the 74th percentile or higher in average exit velocity, hard hit %, and xSLG. It was also his first season seeing significant time in the outfield, and he finished in the top 5 among AL left fielders in SABR's Defensive Index. Twins Daily named him the team's most improved player at the season's end. 

Gordon proved his value last season, but it's hard to see where he fits into the team's plans for 2023. Last week, the Twins signed Joey Gallo, a left-handed hitter who plays corner outfielder like Gordon. Even before adding Gallo, Minnesota's corner outfield depth chart is already packed with players like Max Kepler, Trevor Larnach, Alex Kirilloff, Gilberto Celestino, Kyle Garlick, and Mark Contreras. It seems likely for the Twins to trade at least one player in this group, but Gordon isn't likely to start regularly over many of these names. 

The biggest elephant in the room is not knowing how many injuries will impact the 2023 Twins. Gordon's path to regular playing time last season was injuries to multiple key contributors. FanGraphs' ZiPS projections estimate Gordon to get 400 plate appearances while hitting .258/.304/.416 (.720) with a 100 OPS+ and a 0.7 WAR. Baseball-Reference projects him to get 443 plate appearances and post a .720 OPS with 37 extra-base hits. Every projection model will predict regression for Gordon, but these totals would point to him continuing to be a solid contributor with semi-regular playing time. 

At this point last winter, no one would have projected that Gordon would provide more WAR than Trevor Larnach, Ryan Jeffers, Gary Sanchez, and Alex Kirilloff. The team didn't expect him to have a regular role, but he thrived in a regular role. Now, it's time to see what Gordon can do for an encore. 

What can fans expect from Gordon in 2023? Can he reach another level of success, or have we already seen the best he has to offer? Leave a COMMENT and start the discussion.