Twins Daily Top Prospects: #3 Nick Gordon

Too high for me if all the reports can be believed.  It would seem that even within our organization and with one short stop traded for Odorizzi, he number three in the minor league SS depth chart behind Lewis and Wander Javier.  I suspect he is closer to the majors right now, but will be passed this year.  If I am wrong I will not be bothered, but for rankings I would move him back some.

Lombardozzi was the Twins' 10th best prospect according to BA in 1983 ,and their 3rd best in 1986 (same link).  Gordon was their 8th this season.   More similarities among the 2 than you may think...

There are fewer similarities between the two than you're suggesting. First off, those rankings really tell you nothing unless you view it within the context of who else was ranked. I'd guess that we'd get universal consensus that Gordon is in a whole lot better company than Lombo was, as he was one of only two prospects from that  '86 ranking, along with Alan Anderson, to have any semblance of a MLB career.

Personally, I can't think of a single thing about the two that invites comparison. Not skiils, not industry regard, really nothing. I watched Lombo play almost every game during his career year. He was by far the worst position player on the field in most games. There's a reason his career fizzled out very quickly. He languished as a mediocre utility man for the better part of his career.

Whether it's at 2nd or SS, most evaluators envision Gordon overcoming his current shortcomings with more seasoning and having a nice long career as a starter. You've been the low man on Gordon for some time, and vocal about it. Are you sure there's objectivity in play regarding your opinion? I mean, other than his choice of a shirt in a video of course. 

Well, of course. I read the BA rankings for 2018, and the write-ups on Gordon from all the other talent experts too. None of the experts would think that invoking the names of Florimon, Lombardozzi, or Adrianza when describing Gordon's prospects makes a lick of sense, I'm quite positive about that.

Gordon's bat is a bit worriesome. And if his lack of skill at SS moves him to 2B I can't seem him being an everyday player.

But his choice to wear a Tigers uni while pursuing a music hobby should play no part in any evaluation of his ability.

Every opinion by definition, including those of the ones who are high on Gordon, is subjective.

And I am not the only one.  Check out Berardino's rating at the BA this offseason

Which part? The part where BA graded him as a 50 with only medium risk?  The part where he is graded out at a 50 hit tool, 45 power, 50 speed, 50 fielding, an 55 arm?  

If you listened to the BA Twins podcast breakdown you'll hear where they say he very well could be #2 prospect depending on how you want to look at it (ceiling vs risk).  In fact they said anyone #2-8 could be easily interchanged.  BA states Gordon's 50 grade with medium risk is equivalant to Wander Javier being a 60 grade with extreme risk. Just a little FYI

At this point Gordon's floor is Ehire Adrianza/Pedro Florimon without the glove and in a platoon situation.  Unfortunately I am not convinced that his ceiling is higher than a (let's say) Steve Lombardozzi.

Ouch! That may be a bit harsh! I go back and forth on Gordon's potential, and whether or not he is overrated,. But I still have hope that he's going to be a solid, maybe above average, starter for the major league team in the next year or two. This is going to be another key year for him to show what he's got. Just gotta be patient and remember that he's still a bit young.

Nice right up, Cody.  I've been seeing so much negative spin on this kid it has started to effect me.  Like others, I am one who doesn't get as excited about Nick because he lacks any one elite skill, but the complete package is there.

One of his and Kohl Stewart's and Tyler Jay's problems will always be that they aren't the Ace the Twins needed to somehow find in the draft to complement the young core.  However, if Jermaine Palacios can net Odorizzi, there may yet be hope for Gordon...

I love his worth ethic and the fact that he's shown steady improvement, had that great ALF, and has shown real flashes. All of that, plus his age and steady advancement, I'm willing to chalk up his bad 2nd half last year to wearing down, pitchers making adjustments, etc.

I think he profiles as a nice #2 hitter who just does everything well, without a single category where he just dominates. Of course, there still has to be improvement against LHP.

However, if Jermaine Palacios can net Odorizzi, there may yet be hope for Gordon...

Well played

We have an obvious offensive comp for Gordon, that being Polanco who played with the same teams at the same age for his 19, 20, and 21 years...and just two years in front of Gordon.

Year 19 (Cedar Rapids)

Polanco 308/362/452

Gordon  277/336/360

Year 20 (Fort Myers)

Polanco 291/364/415

Gordon  291/335/386

Year 21 (Chattanooga)

Polanco 289/346/393

Gordon  270/341/408

Against right-handed pitching, Gordon looks better.  It comes down to defense, and finding a bit of an answer against left-handed pitching.  If he can play a solid major-league SS...(pretty huge divergence of opinion among the experts here)...and he can OPS+ 100(ish) which seems possible, that is a very valuable player.  With regard to where he ranks...it's hard for some...me included...to wrap my head around a high school kid taken number 5 overall that ends up being a high floor, relatively low ceiling prospect.  It's usually the other way around when a high-school kid is taken that high.  But it could work out.  This year is huge, obviously.

I like Gordon. The floor seems high, but the ceiling is uncertain. It's not a bad thing to have a few of those prospects in the top end of your system to balance out the high-ceiling lottery tickets many other prospect are. Hedging some risk against the busts keeps young players flowing into the roster. For a club like the Twins (who can't simply buy their way out of a mistake/bad luck every year), you need some of this to keep young talent consistently flowing in.

Gordons hit tool justifies his ranking, I think. He looks to be a high average middle infielder with a solid OPB and his power has been increasing. There's a lot of value in that when you look around at the rest of the league. If he can improve his defensive consistency he can be a starting middle infielder for a long time. If he can't land a comfortable home, he still could likely end up as an Eduardo Nunez type guy who backs up multiple positions to get 300-400 good ABs for you every year. 

That would be disappointing to Twins fans considering his current ranking, but again: there's still value there and that's what I see as his floor. There's nothing that says bust on this kid; the question marks are all restrictions on his ceiling.

He needs to work on his D, hitting lefties, and using his speed better. That's not unusual for a lot of minor leaguers at his age and level. He'd make a useful september call-up on his current glide path, but if he take a strong step forward this season he'll push for a lot more. Absent a trade, I expect him to be with the big club full-time in 2019.

I don’t take Thrylos’ prospect takes seriously after he proposed trading Byron Buxton for Travis D’Arnaud, straight up.

I don’t take Thrylos’ prospect takes seriously after he proposed trading Byron Buxton for Travis D’Arnaud, straight up.

In his defense, I for one appreciate it when he or anyone else here takes the time to dig up information and share it. Personally, I want thrylos to continue to contribute in that way.