St. Louis Cardinals Facing Critical Nolan Gorman Question

Over the last couple of years, Nolan Gorman is someone who had arguably the most question marks around him for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Gorman is someone with elite power. His best season was in 2023. That season, Gorman played in 119 games in his second big league season and had 27 home runs and 76 RBIs while batting .236 at 23 years old. When he's at his best, he can hit the ball a long way and be a solid power bat in the middle of the lineup. But, his role in St. Louis has been inconsistent, at best. This season, he has played in 108 games and has 14 home runs and 46 RBIs while slashing .204/.297/.372. There was a time when Nolan Arenado went down and he took over third base that it looks like things clicked, but not so much.

There have been times in which the Cardinals have given Gorman a consistent role. Sometimes he has delivered. Other times, he has been inconsistent. This season has been a perfect example of that. Early on, he didn't get consistent at-bats so his offensive numbers unsurprisingly weren't great. He took over third base for a while and looked like he was breaking through, but has taken a step back again.

Who will be the Cardinals' third baseman?

Sep 2, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Gorman (16) fields a ground ball against the Athletics during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Now, it’s going to be interesting to see if he’s done enough to be a member of this core moving forward into 2026.

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch discussed the teams' upcoming question mark at third base. Gorman was one of the guys he mentioned as having a chance at the job, but there will be competition.

"The Cardinals gave Nolan Gorman the slugger’s share of playing time at third while Arenado was on the injured list," Goold said. "Other options for the position include Brendan Donovan, who won his Gold Glove Award in 2022 in part because of his superb play at third; Thomas Saggese, who is currently starting at shortstop; and top prospect JJ Wetherholt...

"After some initial throwing mistakes at the position, Gorman found his footing and played reliably. Gorman was drafted as a third baseman and played there until shifting to second base when the Cardinals acquired Arenado. His 401 1/3 innings at third are second only to Arenado’s this season, but Gorman’s minus-3 Defensive Runs Saved and six errors at third are the most by a Cardinal. Thomas Saggese played 117 innings at third. Jose Fermin is the only other Cardinal with at least 21 innings at the position."

Who will end up winning the job? This question is what likely will answer whether Gorman has a long-term future in St. Louis in general. Throughout the year, Gorman has been talked about as one of the "runway" guys on the roster. He also was in trade rumors at one point. This offseason seems to be the time to make a decision. To stay, or to go? What will it be?

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