Cardinals Still Facing Major Question With Nolan Gorman’s Bat

There has been a lot going right for the St. Louis Cardinals so far this season, but there is room for growth, of course.

The Cardinals are using the 2026 season to see exactly what they have with all of the young guys on the roster. Who should the Cardinals build around and which areas of the club should St. Louis add? That's the overarching question of the 2026 season. When the Cardinals traded a handful of veterans away this past offseason, the club fully bought into this idea of evaluation and development.

St. Louis took some money off the books by trading Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras and Brendan Donovan away and currently is 26th in the league in team tax payroll at just over $110.7 million. There is going to be room for this team to add to the payroll at some point when they feel like they are ready to contend. But where will the Cardinals need to add? That's what the organization is trying to determine this season. One area that the fanbase should be watching closely right now and throughout the 2026 season is third base.

The Cardinals Third Baseman Has Been Inconsistent Offensively

Apr 28, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) looks on from the dugout against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Nolan Gorman entered the season with more questions around him than most on the roster. He's 25 years old now and it has been known for years that he has endless potential with his power, but he hasn't been able to fully put it all together since a great 2023 season in which he hit 27 homers, drove in 76 runs and slashed .236/.328/.478.

With the trades of the offseason, it opened up a consistent role for the Cardinals' slugger this season. Gorman has played in 33 games in 2026 and is slashing .214/.278/.366 with five homers, 21 RBIs, and 11 walks. Gorman has played better offensively in 2026 than he did last year when he slashed .205/.296/.370 with 14 homers and 46 RBIs in 111 games played. But there is still more to be desired. On the bright side, Gorman has been excellent defensively so far this season. It has been his biggest step forward in 2026.

He is in the 94th percentile in outs above average, but the Cardinals arguably need some more offensively. St. Louis specifically needs more consistency from Gorman at the plate. Everyone knows that he can hit the ball out of the ballpark. But can he get on base consistently? That's what he needs to prove to take his game to another level and show that he should be a long-term core piece for St. Louis.

Gorman has showed some positives this season, but the Cardinals need more. Last season, it was easy to point to an inconsistent role as the teason for Gorman's offensive struggles. That's not the case right now, though.

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