Pressure Mounting for Cardinals’ Nolan Gorman Entering 2026

This is a big year for Nolan Gorman.

Sep 26, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (16) reacts after striking out against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have a lot of competition in spring training for some big roles for 2026. There are a lot of players who will receive more opportunities after the Cardinals traded Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan and Willson Contreras.

Third base is now open for Nolan Gorman to become the everyday starter with Arenado gone, but there is a lot riding on this season for him. Will Leitch of MLB.com listed the 25-year-old slugger as one of five players that need to prove themselves in 2026 as a key piece of the Cardinals' next young core and long-term plans.

2026 will be crucial for Nolan Gorman

Feb 27, 2026; Jupiter, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) tags out New York Mets left fielder Juan Soto (22) during the first inning at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images | Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

"Gorman has thunder in his bat, but that requires the bat actually hitting the ball. Going the opposite way more would help tremendously, which is why his first at-bat of the spring, an opposite-field homer, was so encouraging. The Cardinals still have three more years of team control over Gorman, but if he regresses for a third straight year, they will likely be out of patience," Leitch wrote.

Gorman did hit 14 home runs last year, and that was all while serving as a backup in the infield. However, he did strike out a lot and slashed just .205/.296/.370 with a poor .666 OPS.

However, he does have a lot of power in his bat, and now is a good time for him to prove that he can be an everyday player with the Cardinals. He had big years in 2022 and 2023, his first two seasons with the club, but started to taper off a bit in 2024.

If he can prove he can be an everyday player in 2026, then the Cardinals will have more clarity on what their long-term picture looks like. He is a left-handed bat, and the Cardinals are deep in that department, but it's time for some of these players to prove their worth.

If Gorman can stay off the injured list and reclaim his power stroke from his first two seasons, the Cardinals lineup will look much stronger than anticipated in 2026, especially with JJ Wetherholt also ready to make his mark.

But if he struggles again, then it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that the Cardinals will have run out of patience by then. At that point, they may be looking for some takers for the young slugger and looking to clear spots for other players.