Nolan Gorman Looks Brand New Thanks to 'Mystery Hitting Guru'

If Nolan Gorman can turn into the consistent slugger for the St. Louis Cardinals that he has the potential to be, that would go a long way in expediting this reset period.

There's no denying the fact that Gorman has skill and massive upside. Gorman is just 25 years old and has a chance to be the team's best slugger. Back in 2023, he showed glimpses of what he can be. He crushed 27 homers, drove in 76 runs and slashed .236/.328/.478 with an .805 OPS at 23 years old in 119 games. He hasn't reached that level since, though. With logjams on the roster, he hasn't always had consistent playing time. The 2026 season will be his best opportunity to show what he can do.

Gorman had a slow start offensively to camp, but has turned things around. One thing that is interesting is Randy Karraker of STL Sports Central pointed out that Gorman worked with a "mystery hitting guru" recommended by Nolan Arenado during the offseason.

The Cardinals slugger looks like he's turning things around

Feb 25, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (16) rounds third base after hitting a three-run home run against the New York Mets in the third inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

"Nolan Gorman was introduced to a mystery hitting guru by Nolan Arenado," Karraker said. "Spent a couple of weeks with him during the offseason. You would hope that whatever happened during the offseason this year sticks. Because a couple of years he has used his own person, couple of years ago he used his own personal hitting coach. Last year, basically spent the offseason with Brant Brown, that didn't work out.

"So, maybe he's finally found the guy. Sometimes you just find that teacher that you click with. Maybe he found the teacher that he clicks with. I'm always excited about Gorman just because of his raw power. I want him to turn out to be good because the Cardinals don't have a lot of people in the organization with raw power. In fact, they don't have anybody in the organization with raw power like Gorman does. So, if he can find a guy that helps him get the bat on the ball, I'm all for it."

Nolan Arenado introduced Nolan Gorman to a mystery hitting guru…

Will he be able to get the slugger on track? #STLCards pic.twitter.com/8RSiUaVUHk
— STL Sports Central (@STLSprtsCntrl) March 17, 2026

MLB.com's Bill Ladson shared a similar story and noted that Gorman worked with the "guru" back in November.

"After the season came to an end in Chicago last year, Gorman went to see a hitting guru recommended by former teammate Nolan Arenado (Gorman declined to name the expert)," Ladson wrote. "Gorman spent two weeks with the hitting coach from Nov. 3-15 trying to figure out how to land his front foot in a better position before swinging. He has found that position and struck out only five times in 30 at-bats this spring."

So far in camp, Gorman has slashed .250/.351/.625 with a .976 OPS in 13 games played. Gorman has three homers, six RBIs, five walks, one double, one triple and has scored three runs. If this version of Gorman can carry over to the regular season, this could be the year he puts it all together. If he does, the perception of this lineup will change if opposing pitchers have to fear Gorman in the middle of the order.