Cardinals infielder Nolan Gorman was slotted into the sixth spot in the lineup for Saturday’s game against the Nationals, starting at second base. There’s a strong chance that’s where he’ll be on Opening Day against the Twins on March 27.
Now entering his fourth MLB season, the 24-year-old has the full backing of team president John Mozeliak, who has emphasized all offseason that Gorman will receive plenty of opportunities in 2025.
Gorman had a chance to break out of his early spring slump on Saturday after going hitless in his first nine at-bats with five strikeouts. Instead, he went 0-for-3 with two more strikeouts, extending his struggles.
Of course, it’s only spring training, and it’s still early in March. Hitting coach Brant Brown could help Gorman find his rhythm, and he’s also experimenting with a new swing. But at some point, results start to matter.
Nolan Gorman’s spring performance shouldn’t cause us to give up on him, but it does only add to the worries that were present all last year.
After 400 plate appearances in 2024, Gorman was sent down to Triple-A Memphis to refine his approach. Before the demotion, he carried a 37.6% strikeout rate while slashing .203/.271/.400 with 19 home runs. In Memphis, he managed to cut his strikeout rate by 12% and raised his ISO to .284—but against lower-level pitching.
Through the first week of games, Gorman has only 12 at-bats, too small a sample size to draw major conclusions. However, his seven strikeouts, one walk, and zero hits aren’t an encouraging sign for a player who needed a strong spring to build momentum for the season.
This isn’t just about a handful of spring at-bats, though. Across over 1,100 MLB plate appearances—roughly two full seasons—Gorman has posted a 104 wRC+ with a 34% strikeout rate and 30-homer potential. That’s a serviceable player, but much of that production came from a strong 2023 season.
If he can regain that 2023 form, the Cardinals will have a solid long-term second baseman. If he continues down the path of his 2024 struggles, the team may face a difficult decision regarding his future.
Designating Gorman for assignment isn’t a viable solution, and sending him back to Triple-A wouldn’t provide meaningful development against lesser competition. Given that 2025 is something of a transition year, the best approach may be to give him regular playing time in the majors. With Thomas Saggese as his primary competition—who remains unproven—manager Oliver Marmol might as well let Gorman sink or swim.
His early struggles this spring shouldn’t define him, but they also don’t inspire much confidence. The fact that he’s still missing the same types of pitches he has struggled with throughout his career is a concern that can’t be ignored.