As the St. Louis Cardinals transition this offseason, they are focused on letting most of their youngers players play regularly in order to evaluate their roster for the coming seasons. Infielder Nolan Gorman is one such young player set to play regularly in 2025, and the Cardinals would like to see him get close to 600 at-bats next year, according to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. In addition to Gorman, outfielder Jordan Walker should have a bigger role without the threat of being sent back to the minors. Other young players that should have key roles include Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson, Pedro Pages and Ivan Herrera. Gorman, the 19th overall pick in 2018, regressed in 2024, hitting .203/.271/.400 with a career-low .671 OPS, 19 home runs, 50 RBI and six steals in 107 games. The 24-year-old spent the final five weeks in the minors but should have an everyday role, either at second or third, in 2025.
The St. Louis Cardinals optioned infielder Nolan Gorman to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday and recalled infielder Jose Fermin from Memphis in a corresponding move. The last straw for the Cardinals came on Tuesday night, when Gorman went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder has clubbed 19 home runs in 107 games on the year, but he's also hitting just .203 (74-for-365) and has fanned a career-high 151 times and walked only 34 times in 402 plate appearances. His OPS sat at an impressive .805 last year, but it has dipped to .671 in 2024. Gorman will most likely return when rosters expand in September, but for now, he'll head to the farm to work on making more contact at the plate. Brendan Donovan is starting at second on Wednesday and batting cleanup against Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Tobias Myers, and he should see most of the starts at the keystone now.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman and outfielder Jordan Walker are absent from the starting lineup on Wednesday against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park as they try to avoid a sweep. Gorman will get a rest after starting in each of the last six games against right-handed pitching. Brendan Donovan will start at the keystone and bat fifth against Red right-hander Emilio Pagan. Walker started against a lefty on Monday after being recalled from Triple-A Memphis, but he's now been on the bench for two straight games against righties. Tommy Pham is starting in left field and batting eighth, while Lars Nootbaar is in right field and is hitting seventh versus Pagan. The 22-year-old Walker, once a top prospect for the Cardinals, will likely be limited to the short side of a platoon in St. Louis now that he's back in the big leagues.
Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman Sitting Monday With Southpaw On The Mound
St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Lars Nootbaar and second baseman Nolan Gorman are not in the team's lineup on Monday against the New York Mets. The Mets will be sending left-hander Sean Manaea to the mound to start Monday's makeup game, so the left-hitting Nootbaar will take a seat on the bench. The 26-year-old has struggled to put up consistent numbers in 2024, as he is hitting just .234 with seven home runs, 10 doubles, and 23 RBI across 62 games this season. As a result, he isn't necessarily an add in most 12-plus team leagues. Tommy Pham, Alec Burleson, and Victor Scott II will occupy the three outfield spots in Monday's makeup game.
Nolan Gorman Sitting Against Right-Handed Pitcher On Friday
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman will take a seat on Friday afternoon against right-handed pitcher Javier Assad. This is now the second time in the past nine games that Gorman has sat against a right-hander. He usually retreats to the bench when facing a southpaw, but this now suggests that the 24-year-old may strictly be a bench bat going forward. As a result, Brendan Donovan will cover the keystone and bat in the eight-hole. Since June 1, Gorman has struggled to find consistency as he sits with an underwhelming .189/.246/.384 and a 12:73 BB:K ratio. Fantasy managers could feel comfortable cutting ties with Gorman in shallow leagues, given the dip in playing time. Donovan is worth a look in DFS this afternoon as he faces Cubs starter Javier Assad who has carried a high 1.88 WHIP across his past four starts.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman will get a day of rest on Friday for the start of a series in D.C. against the hosting Washington Nationals with a left-hander on the mound. Brendan Donovan will instead start at second and bat sixth, while Dylan Carlson will play right field and bat seventh against Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin. It will be the second straight day that Gorman has started on the bench after St. Louis faced a southpaw on Thursday as well. The 24-year-old should be rostered in all leagues for his power (17 home runs) and run production (41 RBI), but he's hitting just .189 (52-for-275) on the season in 2024. He's been even worse against lefties, going 14-for-80 (.175) with four of his 17 home runs and 33 strikeouts.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman continued to play long ball in Tuesday's 7-4 win over the Pirates. Gorman went 2-for-4 with a single, a grand slam, and two strikeouts. The 24-year-old guided a fourth-inning Mitch Keller off-speed pitch to the opposite field into the left-center seats to put the Cardinals up by six. The power has been there, but Gorman's average has suffered, as he has slashed .192/.271/.410 with 17 HR, 33 runs scored, 41 RBI, and six stolen bases in 303 plate appearances. His 36.6% strikeout rate hurts his value in points leagues, and fantasy managers in roto leagues will have to concede that he will hurt their batting averages in exchange for his power counting stats.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman remained scorching hot in Tuesday's loss versus the Houston Astros. Gorman went 2-for-5 on the evening with a solo home run. Gorman struggled mightily to open the season, but he has pulled a 180 over the last month by going 23-for-73 with 10 homeruns and 19 RBI. For the season, he is hitting .235 with 14 homers and 31 RBI. It's hard to move on from Gorman with the way he is hitting, but his trade value is at an all time high and it is unlikely that he will keep this pace throughout the season which makes him a great sell-high candidate.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman/third baseman Nolan Gorman continued his power surge when he went 1-for-4 with a two-run homer in Tuesday's victory versus the rival Cincinnati Reds. Gorman has been having a rough season for the Cardinals, but has picked it up lately and now has five of his nine homers in the month of May. Despite having nine homers, Gorman has hit a unimpressive .214 with 64 strikeouts in 159 at-bats. Gorman was once a highly touted prospect, but outside of his 50 career homers has been a minor disappointment with a career .229 batting average. The 24-year-old has worked his way into a platoon role and doesn't hold much value outside of the deepest of leagues.
St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn and second baseman Nolan Gorman are both getting a breather on Sunday against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Winn will take a seat while currently riding an eight-game hitting streak that has seen him raise his season slash line to a strong. 281/.340/.383 with a homer, 11 RBI, seven stolen bases and 13 runs scored in his first year as the full-time starter at shortstop. Brandon Crawford will play the 6 and bat sixth against Red Sox right-hander Nick Pivetta. Gorman has homers in each of his last two games but is still hitting only .201 (28-for-139) on the year with seven homers, 18 RBI and 55 strikeouts in 157 plate appearances in 2024. Brendan Donovan is starting at second on Sunday and is hitting sixth. Alec Burleson is in left field and hitting fifth, while Matt Carpenter is the designated hitter while batting leadoff against Pivetta.
Nolan Gorman
• 2B
•
Cardinals
