Nolan Gorman Opens Up About Process Ahead of Critical 2026 Campaign

The St. Louis Cardinals traded away all of their veteran players and cleared paths for younger options. Third base was opened up for Nolan Gorman when Nolan Arenado was finally traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Gorman had a difficult 2025 season, hitting 14 home runs but with a .205 average and a poor .666 OPS. But with a full season of runway, there is reason to believe he might finally break out.

The stats don't show it, but Gorman is at least showing signs of life at the plate, unlike Jordan Walker. He had a two-hit game on Thursday against the New York Mets. The young Cardinals' slugger opened up about his approach this spring and what has been working for him.

Gorman facing crucial season

Sep 9, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) high-fives teammates in the dugout after scoring a run against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

"I think when you just look at your day and you reflect on your day after every game, instead of looking at the box score and seeing no hits, you actually go and dive into it in detail and see this pitch was here," Gorman said.

"I grade myself every day on quality at-bats, when you do it that way, you I had a good day, or no I didn't have a good day. And you've got to lock in that next day."

Gorman has struggled a lot with strikeouts, which makes 2026 a very crucial season for him. If he can cut down on that, he could be a much better hitter, but this may be his last chance to do that and prove he can be a part of the Cardinals' next core.

However, he is at least hitting the ball hard this spring. He has run into some bad luck, but is at least putting the ball in play. Eventually, that could turn into success, so Gorman's focus on quality of at-bats this spring is ultimately a good approach so that he can analyze everything and learn from every at-bat he takes.

Only then will he become a complete hitter and get back to where he was in 2022 and 2023. Even if his batting average is a little low, being able to put the ball in play and take quality at-bats will set him apart from the rest of the pack as he tries to lock down the starting third base job for the foreseeable future.

It will be interesting to see what 2026 holds for Gorman, but a bounce-back year would be huge for the Cardinals.