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His story has always included mention of his bloodlines. Nick Gordon is the son of long-time big league pitcher Tom “Flash” Gordon. His older brother, Dee Gordon, has been an All-Star and won a batting title. However, as Nick Gordon works his way up the Minnesota Twins organization ladder, he is attempting to create his own story and his own path. Baseball has always been a huge part of Nick Gordon’s story, at least as long as he can remember.“For as long as I can remember, baseball was always something I wanted to play. My brother loved basketball, but I always wanted to be a baseball player,” Nick continued. “I played different sports, but since I was three or four years old, as long as I can remember, I had a bat in my hand. I always tried to follow my dad and follow my brother to the baseball field, so I always knew I wanted to be a baseball player.” His path involves a terrific career at Olympia High School in Orlando. He became the first-round pick of the Minnesota Twins, the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft. Upon signing, he jumped straight to Elizabethton where he was much younger than most players in the league. The same is true of his first full season, 2015 in the Midwest League. Gordon went into the season knowing that he had to do something, work much harder, to push through what can be a long, difficult season in the heat and humidity of the Florida State League. Gordon put on 15 pounds of good muscle. Of last offseason, he said he “learned about resting, eating and maturing in the game. I’m from Florida, I know it’s hot. You know that you have to put on extra weight and extra pounds because later on in the season, you’re going to shed some pounds. Beyond that, Gordon said, “And, you’re going to get days when you’re tired and feeling sluggish, and the extra work in the offseason helps for days like that.” While he came into the 2016 season without any specific number goals, Gordon had some key goals for the year that come in more general terms. “Staying healthy is always a goal. It’s kind of in and out of your control, but it’s always a goal. I would definitely say consistency and things for that sort, good at-bats, going out and winning ball games.” While the 2016 Miracle did not win either half of its season, they did combine for a 70-68 record overall. Gordon had a good season. He hit .291/.335/.386 (.721) with 23 doubles, six triples and three home runs. Gordon was playing shortstop behind that impressive group of starting pitcher prospects that started the season in Ft. Myers. “They came out every day and competed and gave us a chance. That’s why we got off to the start that we did. Being behind (Stephen) Gonsalves, (Tyler) Jay, (Kohl) Stewart, those guys really throw the ball, and it was amazing to watch. To be honest, Felix Jorge was the most impressive to me. Every single time, and even last year, every time he takes the mound, it’s special.” Gordon and Jorge have also been teammates since 2014. Of his 2016 season, Gordon said, “A lot of good things happened, and a lot of bad things happened that I also learned from.” One of those good things for Gordon was being named a starter at shortstop in the Florida State League All-Star Game which was played at Hammond Stadium, home of the Miracle. “It definitely was fun. A lot of my family got to get out because it was close to home. They all got to see me play. I had fun. It was a blast. I played with some guys that are going to be great in this game, and a lot of guys who really love to compete and play the game hard. So it was definitely a great time.” Gordon noticed a difference between pitchers in the Midwest League and pitchers in the Florida State League. Specifically, he saw more and more of a tough pitch that hitters need to adapt to. “Pitchers definitely have a little better idea, and that’s every single level that you go to. They’re going to have a better idea. I saw a lot more cutters this year that you wouldn’t see elsewhere, like Low A and Rookie Ball. You definitely start seeing it in High-A, and it’s a very effective pitch. You’ve got to learn how to make adjustments on it. The cutter was definitely a challenge, but making the adjustments and starting to see the pitch and recognize the pitch helped me get ready for the next level.” Being in Florida, his parents were able to see him often during the season. With his brother playing across the peninsula with the Marlins, it was a lot more difficult. “My brother’s first game back (following suspension), I was able to go. We had a day off, so I was able to go there. That was pretty much it. Normally on a day off, I was getting rest and it turned into a thing where our schedules wouldn’t line up. My parents were always back and forth between Miami and Ft. Myers to see us. I definitely got to see my family a lot. Off days were spent well.” As the season was coming to an end, Gordon found out late in the season that he was going to the Arizona Fall League. (For much more on his time in the Fall League, click here.) Gordon hit a robust .346/.418/.444 (.862) with four doubles and two triples in his 21 games. Following the Fall League, Gordon took almost two weeks off, “just kind of hanging with my family.” At that point, he began his 2016/17 offseason work, doing many of the same things he did a year earlier, but to a new level. “I started my lifts, and then right after that, we were right back to ground balls and hitting in the cage. I worked out with Barry Larkin, Francisco Lindor, my brother and guys like that. They started, so I couldn't let them get too far ahead of me.” As baseball celebrates its new Hall of Fame class. Gordon is working out again with Hall of Famer Barry Larkin, as he has in previous years, in Orlando. Each day, Gordon is a sponge, observing everything and asking a ton of questions. “Everything that Mr. Larkin teaches, you know, I don’t want to miss that. I took two weeks, began working out, and we’ve been getting after it ever since then. Five days a week. We take Fridays and Saturdays off, depending on the week and if people had anything going on. We’re out there from about 9-2 every day. We definitely get after it.” Gordon continued, “I ask as many questions as I can. I like to watch Francisco (Lindor) and the way he does things. That’s the player I would love to be one day. Just to see the things that he’s able to do with the glove and the bat. I try to take a lot of things from him. And just to hear Mr. Larkin talk, he’s got so much wisdom. He can look at anyone taking a ground ball or anyone swinging a bat. He’ll be able to see things, and he doesn’t come up and tell you that you have to change your swing. He’ll help work with your swing. He’ll be there to be hands on. He’s definitely one of the most influential people in my baseball career, right after my dad and my brother. He’s been there for me, and I definitely am thankful for being able to work with them.” And there is a new participant at these Larkin group this year, someone else that Gordon can watch and learn from. “And, we started hitting with Carlos Gonzalez this year, so now we get to see the power too.” In recent weeks, Gordon got a phone call telling him that the Twins were inviting him to big league spring training as a non-roster invite. That Twins don’t just hand out spring training invites to young players unless they feel that the player can contribute and contribute fairly soon. “Brad (Steil) called. I was stoked about it. I called my dad. I called my mom. They were both very excited. It’s an honor and a blessing to get the invite to spring training, big league camp,” Gordon said. “It’ll be good to be around the veterans of the game, the veteran coaches in the game. It’s going to be a great experience. I’m definitely looking forward to it.” He’s got some goals for 2017 and also knows what the key is to his success. “Strength, definitely. I feel like strength will help me improve a lot of things in my game in the field and at the plate. Defensively, consistency. Getting my body in the right positions and making sure to do everything right. I always practice while preparing.” 2017 will be a big year for Gordon. He turned 21 years old in October, so he’ll be one of the youngest players in the Southern League next year. Many believe that the jump from A ball to AA ball is difficult, the most difficult. He has the talent to succeed, and his maturity and understanding of the game will only help. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil on Nick Gordon's tools: "Nick does a lot of things well and has the potential to grow in all areas of the game. His swing and hit skills are probably what stand out for most people. I think he has shown the ability to hit high end pitching and we also think he will develop power as he physically matures and gets stronger. Overall, Nick has an advanced feel for the game and I think we see that on both sides of the ball." Some in the industry question whether or not Gordon can stick at shortstop long-term. Here is Steil's response on that. "Defense is something that Nick works very hard at and he continues to show progress at SS. I have seen him make plays in the hole and I think his arm strength will improve as he gets stronger. With young shortstops, I think it’s normal to see some inconsistency in their play, and we’ve seen some of that with Nick along the way. However, as he gains experience and continues to learn the nuances of the position, I think we’ll see him iron out some of those mistakes and develop into a reliable major league defender." Click here to view the article

Recently, Twins Daily caught up with Twins prospects Tanner English and Nick Gordon. Earlier this week, we had the story of Tanner English, In His Own Words. Tomorrow, we'll have a full story on Nick Gordon. Today, we discussed their shared experience in the Arizona Fall League. The two also are great friends and have huge respect for each other so we asked each to talk a little about the other.The Arizona Fall League provides an opportunity for prospects to play an extra 20 to 25 games against some premium competition. There are several reasons for a team to select players to participate. Once selected, players have different goals for what they’d like to accomplish while playing in the Fall League. Recently we caught up with Tanner English and Nick Gordon and discussed their time in the Arizona Fall League and more. Gordon was the fifth overall pick in the 2014 draft. English was the team’s 11th round pick in 2014 out of the University of South Carolina. English is a fan of country music. He admits, “I am a country music fanatic. I love old country. I like the new stuff. I like everything.” He and Gordon are very close, having been teammates at each level since signing. English continued, “He hates it, so whenever he’s around, I blare it.” ARIZONA FALL LEAGUE Late in the 2016 season, the two were playing for the Ft. Myers Miracle in a series against the Tampa Yankees when they were first asked about possibly going to Arizona for the Fall League. Both were excited about the opportunity. As we learned the other day, English missed a large portion of his season due to Lasik surgery which was followed by an ankle injury that cost him more time. He hoped that “the good Lord had a plan.” Maybe the Arizona Fall League was that opportunity. As Twins minor league director Brad Steil recently told Twins Daily, “I think the AFL was something we were considering once he decided to have the procedure done. Whenever a player misses time because of an injury, we know that the AFL and/or instructional league are options to make up some of those at-bats or innings. Considering how Tanner finished the year, we thought that facing AFL pitching would be a nice step for him in his development progression.” Nick Gordon got through his season in the heat of the Florida State League weary but generally healthy. He spent a week on the DL midseason with a concussion, but other than that, it was a relatively healthy season. For Gordon,the Twins’ reasons for wanting him to play in the AFL were a little different. According to Steil, “Considering the season Nick had with the Miracle, we thought the AFL would be a natural progression in his development and would help prepare him for the jump to Double-A.” Gordon acknowledged that he wasn’t even thinking about the Fall League when he found out, but he was very excited for the chance to play in Arizona. “It definitely was a blessing when I found out. I wasn’t really expecting it at first. I was just going out there every single day trying to compete. I hadn’t thought about the offseason yet, and when I did find out, I was definitely happy about it.” After missing so much time English’s goal for the Fall League sounds pretty simplistic, but really it was anything but. “One of the things I wanted to work on going there was having more competitive at bats. That’s a pretty broad statement, but I missed a lot of time. So when I came back, I wanted to be able to use my eyes to my advantage. At first, it was tough because I had been hitting one way for so long that I had to make an adjustment. It sounds stupid, but I just had to be able to see the ball, you know,” English continued. “Going out to Arizona, I think I had played about 25 games before I went out there to finish out the year. I had a little bit of experience, but those guys had all been playing 100 games this year and I was on game number 30 or so. So, I was pretty far behind the other guys. I just wanted to go out there and have competitive at bats.” Gordon was one of the youngest players in the Arizona Fall League during the season, though that is nothing new for the phenom. He had a decent idea of what to expect, at least in terms of the types of talent. “Definitely knew the competition was going to be good, but I knew I could go out there and compete. It’s why I train so hard all season doing the things that I do so I could just go out there and have fun. I knew going out there that there were guys going to the big leagues or had even played in the big leagues.” He also was given some good advice from a 21-year-MLB veteran, his father Tom Gordon. “My dad was telling me that every single pitch, every single game, you can’t take anything for granted. It’s the same as the regular season. You’re going to play some guys who are ready for the big leagues.” Nick Gordon led the Surprise Saguaros in several categories including batting average (.346), on-base percentage (.418), triples (2) and stolen bases (5). His .444 slugging percentage trailed only two teammates, one of which was Twins teammate Mitch Garver. Gordon also had just two errors in his 21 games played. For English, his Fall League started out slow, but he got going about halfway through the season. Though his overall batting average was just .239, he got on base 33.3% of the time. His 21 games played were just one behind the team leaders. He also said that he absorbed and learned whether he was playing or not. “Even if I wasn’t playing, I could go out there and watch some of the best dudes in baseball.” English noted, “When I wasn’t playing, I could be learning just by watching other people, either on my team or the other team. When I was playing, you learn a ton just from experience.” Gordon was selected to play in the annual Fall Stars game, something he really enjoyed. He said of his experience, “It was a great time, and to be able to meet some of those guys and play with those guys, and be in the Fall Stars game. It was fun. I wouldn’t change it for anything.” Gordon said he got a signed bat from all of his teammates, “which was pretty awesome.” English also had a great time. “The Fall League was a blast. As everybody knows, the competition is pretty crazy out there. Everyone is really good. It was a huge learning experience, and I’m just glad I got the opportunity to do it.” Remember in Tuesday’s article when English received his promotion to Rochester for the final five games. He had to call his parents (at 1 a.m.), who were on their way to Ft. Myers to watch him play, that they might as well turn around. The Saguaros played in the AFL championship game which airs on MLB Network. “Playing on MLB Network was cool. That was awesome. It’s one of the things that a lot of guys can’t say that they’ve been able to do. My parents haven’t seen me play in two years, I don’t think. So it was cool. They were able to turn the TV on and watch me play.” Gordon and English were both drafted by the Twins in 2014. Gordon with the fifth overall pick. English with their 11th round pick. They played that summer together in Elizabethton. In 2015 they played together in Cedar Rapids. They were teammates with the Miracle in 2016 when English was healthy. And, as we just wrote about, they were teammates in the Arizona Fall League. They have roomed together and have become very close. I asked each about what they have seen from each other in the time since they were drafted. ENGLISH ON GORDON What has Tanner English seen from Nick Gordon over these three seasons? How has he grown, and what makes him one of the top prospects in the game? English emphatically paused the interviewer and said, “In the game, and don’t get that wrong. Not just in the system.” English shared that he sent Gordon a text recently that literally said, “How the heck do you make hitting look so easy? Why is it so easy to you?” “He is so good, and obviously his numbers hitting speak for themselves. Everybody knew he was a good hitter in high school. He just needed to get stronger, be able to control the bat a little more, hit the ball a little harder, which he’s don’t” English continued, “He’s gotten a lot better in the field. He is absolutely good enough to stay at shortstop. He works his tail off. He just turned 21 in the past year, and he acts like he’s a lot older. He’s grown up off the field as a man. He’s matured really fast which has helped him a lot. It’s been fun to watch him. It’s been fun to play with him.” English is Gordon’s biggest fan, and cheerleader. “If there are videos of him making a sick play in the field, I can promise you I’m in the outfield, running in, pumping my fist in the air and screaming. You may not see that half the time, but I promise I’m doing that. I’m his #1 fan out there. And if I make a sick catch in the outfield, I look, and he’s the closest one to me. He’s pointing at me, clapping and yelling ‘Yes, sir.’ He’s a great teammate and a great friend. And I really look forward to playing with him and learning from him as we go.” GORDON ON ENGLISH Gordon is equally enthusiastic when talking about Tanner English. And when it comes to English, the first thing people want to talk about is his defense. According to minor league director Brad Steil, “Certainly when you evaluate Tanner, his speed, arm, and overall defensive skills stand out. With his instincts and athletic ability, we think he has the potential to be an above average defender in the big leagues.” Gordon adds, “He can honestly play the outfield with the best of them.I don't think I’ve seen too many better than Tanner in centerfield. He’s definitely reliable out there.” But he can be more than just his great glove, Gordon says. “He can do so many things with the bat as well. And speed. It’s ridiculous. It’s unbelievable to watch him run. I’ve seen a couple of people in my life run like that, and one of them is my brother.” That’s pretty fast! While they are great friends, Gordon enjoys watching English play the game. He observes English, and they talk to each other about their games. And then they cheer for each other. “It’s the way he plays the game. We have so many conversations about hitting. To see somebody grow and learn is great. To listen to some of the things that we talk about and then we see each other doing it, it pumps me up. It’s fun to be able to play with him and pick his brain and stuff like that, and to become so close.” These two have a strong bond and a mutual respect for one another on and off the field. They enjoy competing with each other and cheering for each other. They can both acknowledge the other’s strengths. They both have big league futures, and they’ll help each other reach their potential. Click here to view the article

19-year-old Nick Gordon, the Twins first-round draft pick last June out of high school in Orlando, Florida, made the trek north to Minneapolis last weekend for Twins Fest. The talented, young shortstop debuted at Elizabethton in 2014 and played well. Coupling immense talent with his poise and maturity make him one to watch in 2015!Of course, it takes more than maturity to be drafted as high as Gordon was (5th overall) as a high school kid. It takes a ton of talent. Gordon is currently a four-tool talent though many believe that over time he will also add the ability to hit for power and become a five-tool player. Twins Minor League Director Brad Steil pointed out in the Minnesota Twins Prospect Handbook 2015 why the Twins brass decided to have him skip the Gulf Coast League completely and spend his entire season at Elizabethton. “With the maturity and skill level we saw from him in high school, we thought he’d be able to compete at that level and handle any adversity. He was probably more prepared for pro ball than most high school players, having been around it most of his life because of his dad and brother.” The Twins have not had a high school player jump straight to Elizabethton after the draft since 2004 when Trevor Plouffe did that. Before him, Joe Mauer hit .400 in Elizabethton after signing with the Twins after being the first overall pick in 2001. Asked this weekend how having a father (Tom) and a brother (Dee) with big league experience has helped him out, Nick responded by saying he’s learned a lot from each of them. “It’s always great. You know, my dad played for 21 seasons. He knows the game. He’s been around it. My brother as well. Going to them, they know all the ropes. They know everything I’m going through because they’ve been through it all already. They’re always there for me.” Gordon held his own against many players significantly older than he is. Many players in the Appalachian League have three or four years of college under their belt, or they have been in pro ball for one to three years already. In 57 games, he hit .294/.333/.364 (.699) with six doubles, four triples and a home run. He stole 11 bases. In 49 games at shortstop, he had just eight errors and posted a .964 fielding percentage. These numbers don’t jump out, but they are impressive when put in the context of his age and experience relative to the league. Unfortunately, in the season’s final game, he was jammed by a pitch and broke a finger. Asked how his finger is now, Gordon said, “Finger was OK after a couple weeks. I got back after it. It kind of bothered me a little bit, but now it’s just baseball.” So what was the biggest adjustment for him to professional baseball? One might think that adjusting to wood bats, especially coming out of high school could be difficult, but Gordon said that wasn’t the biggest adjustment for him. “In the summer, all we used was wood bats in Florida. We played baseball all year around, so that’s the great thing about playing in Florida, we were constantly using wood bats.” He continued, “It’s just mainly playing every day. Coming from high school, you played every other day. That was the biggest adjustment for me. Once I got it, after about a month or two, it felt good. It felt like I was in the swing of things.” He now has his first pro experience under his belt and says that his offseason has been very good. “I’ve just been working out, trying to put on some weight, and stay fast. Stay to my game. I’m loving the process.” His goal for 2015 is pretty simple and yet his offseason work is an attempt to help him achieve his goal, to “stay healthy. That (added) weight is important. You have to be physically ready. Playing close to 100 games a year, you’ve got to be ready to go. I’m ready to get out there and I’ve been working on conditioning.” In an interview with 1500 ESPN over the weekend, Gordon said that one of his favorite players (non-relative category) growing up was Derek Jeter. It wasn’t just for his great talent, but he admired his leadership. Gordon hopes that he can be a similar type of player. “I know I can go out there, and I know I can play. It’s just about competing and making myself and my teammates better.” The Twins selected Gordon in the first round. They did not draft another high school player until the 15th round when they drafted an outfielder named Roberto Gonzalez, another Orlando native. Gordon went to Olympia high school in Orlando while Gonzalez went to University high school. “Yeah, I played against him in high school. We always played against each other. Mostly in the summer though.” Gordon was asked to describe Gonzalez and said, “He’s a really good athlete.” When I asked if Gonzalez could be a five-tool talent, without hesitation, Gordon said, “Oh yeah! Oh yeah!” Twins Fest was not Gordon’s first trip to Target Field. After being drafted last summer, he came to Target Field to sign his contract. His thoughts on the stadium? “It’s beautiful. Even with the snow on the field.” He certainly seemed to enjoy his Twins Fest experience. “It’s amazing. It’s nice meeting the people. It’s nice coming out here where people are so excited about baseball. It’s great to get out here and meet the fans and have fun with the kids and interact.” Asked if there were any players he was excited to meet last weekend, Gordon said, “I look up to pretty much all these guys. I talk to (Byron) Buxton a lot, and he’s a really good guy. I kind of look to him a lot. And Torii Hunter, I watched him when I was growing up.” Next up for Gordon, he’ll head to Ft. Myers in early March to go to his first spring training. “I’m ready for it. I can’t wait to get there.” After seeing all the fans at Twins Fest and the atmosphere there, I think it’s fair to say that we all can’t wait. Nick Gordon is one player that fans will be watching and monitoring over the next several years. He’s got a world of talent and the potential to be an impact player for a long time. Those who spoke with him continue to speak of his great maturity, attitude and poise. It’s no wonder that the Twins scouts, and scouts from every team, liked him so much. Click here to view the article