Cardinals 25-Year-Old Tabbed for Unexpected Breakout Season

There are some post-hype names to watch in St. Louis...

Sep 5, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of the hat and glove of St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (not pictured) before a game against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are a team comprised of players with something to prove this year, which should make them fascinating to watch.

While all eyes will be on top prospect JJ Wetherholt to begin the year, the Cardinals have several players whose prospect hype has died down, but who still have immense potential. And even in that group, Nolan Gorman may be overshadowed by Jordan Walker in terms of attention.

However, one preseason prognosticator still believes in Gorman, and Cardinals fans could be highly intrigued by what he has to say.

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Gorman predicted to put up 35 homers this season

Aug 26, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) hits a two run home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

On Tuesday, ESPN's David Schoenfield made a "bold prediction" for the Cardinals when he claimed that Gorman, who hit just 14 home runs in 111 games last season, would rebound to post 35 round-trippers this time around.

"This is probably the last chance for Nolan Gorman as a starter in St. Louis. After hitting 27 home runs in 119 games in 2023, he hit just .203 in 2024 and .205 in 2025 as the strikeouts piled up," wrote Schoenfield.

"He did a much better job in spring training of putting the ball in play after spending two weeks last offseason with Nolan Arenado's personal hitting guru. Let's predict that carries over to the regular season, and he hits .250 with 35 home runs."

At age 25, it's impressive how many ups and downs Gorman has already had to deal with as a big-leaguer. The Cardinals had him playing out of position at second base early on, thanks to the presence of Arenado at third, and he's also dealt with his fair share of injuries and inconsistency.

The memory of that 27-homer season sticks out, though, because it seemed relatively easy for Gorman to reach that total as long as he was getting his at-bats. If he gets off to a hot start and earns the right to keep the starting job all season, it really wouldn't be too much of a shock to see him cross the 30-homer threshold.

With that being said, baseball is extremely difficult for everyone, and Gorman has more pressure to perform than most baseball players can expect this year.