Cardinals' Nolan Gorman, Victor Scott Triple-A Experiment Isn't Working

The St. Louis Cardinals sent both Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II down to the minors and they're both struggling.

Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) rounds the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the second inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When the 2026 Major League Baseball season began, it was expected that Nolan Gorman would have a significant role with the St. Louis Cardinals at third base and Victor Scott II would get a lot of playing time out in center field.

Unfortunately, neither was able to get their bats going in the big leagues and the Cardinals demoted both down to Triple-A. Scott was sent down to Triple-A in early June and Gorman was sent down in mid-June.

With that being said, how are both doing? Let's check in.

Nolan Gorman

May 13, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) celebrates with teammates after scoring against the Athletics during the fourth inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Ed Szczepanski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When Gorman was initially sent down, he went to the Florida Complex League before going to Triple-A as a way to try to rebuild his swing and get back on track. Unfortunately, it hasn't translated to games in Triple-A yet. The 26-year-old has played in 23 games down in Triple-A and is slashing .146/.314/.317 with a .631 OPS, four homers and 10 RBIs. Surprisingly, his on-base percentage and OPS are both higher than they were in the majors before his demotion.

Gorman was slashing .194/.279/.318 with a .598 OPS, seven homers and 26 RBIs before his demotion.

The on-base percentage and OPS are higher in Triple-A, which is good, but batting .146 down in Triple-A isn't going to get Gorman back to the big leagues. Over the last few years, Gorman has been a hot topic. It's known that he has power. Back in 2023, Gorman hit 27 homers and drove in 76 runs in 119 games played in the majors. Since then, he has had an inconsistent role with the club and has struggled to put the bat on the ball. A consistent role this season at third base didn't fix the problem and neither has a trip to Triple-A.

Victor Scott II

Jun 7, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Victor Scott II (11) lays down a bunt against the Cincinnati Reds during the eighth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

When it comes to Scott, it's known that he can be an elite defensive player out in center field. Before his demotion, he was in the 85th percentile in outs above average with three. Last year, he was in the 99th percentile with 17 outs above average.

That's what makes Scott stand out, but he's not going to have a chance to show what he can do defensively if he can't get on base. Before his demotion, he was slashing .194/.276/.258 with a .534 OPS in 61 games played.

The numbers haven't been much better in Triple-A. He has played in 28 games and is slashing .204/.293/.278 with a .570 OPS. His batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS have all seen slight upticks, but not enough to get back to the big leagues. On the bright side, there is progress. But again, he's not forcing the issue to come back to St. Louis yet.