5 Cardinals spring training stories that were overblown

Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman's offensive approach, or lack thereof

The story: Two young sluggers, Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, were expected (promised?) a season's worth of at-bats this season as the Cardinals worked towards a transition season. That promise hinged on the team's ability to trade Nolan Arenado, which, at this point, we all know did not come to fruition. Regardless of the Arenado outcome, the organization needed to see results one way or another from both Walker and Gorman.

The spring was not kind to either of the two hitters, as they were each working with swing changes and a new hitting coach. Walker, who was still guaranteed plenty of playing time in right field, hit .161 with 13 strikeouts in 31 at-bats and only knocked two extra-base hits in March. The right fielder also missed a week due to a rogue sprinkler head causing a minor knee injury. Gorman did not fare much better during his 53 spring appearances, hitting .189 with 12 strikeouts, but did knock four doubles and a homer.

The results: Walker was never at risk of missing out on the Opening Day roster or starting gig and has played in 17 games so far. Gorman, on the other hand, was forced from the everyday second base job thanks to the inability to trade Arenado paired with Victor Scott II's spring outburst that earned him a major league starting spot.

Offensively, Walker is starting to put his potential into reality, but still has a ways to go in establishing his consistency. His swing metrics measure near the top of the league in a variety of stats, and the overall numbers do not tell the whole story of his season to this point. The former top prospect is hitting .254 with two homers, a double, and an increased walk rate. He has struck out 19 times in his 60 at-bats, but his approach is noticeable to the constant viewer. After continually chasing pitches out of the zone last season, he has shown more patience, especially on the outside breaking ball. He has been the victim of some poor umpiring that has inflated his strikeout numbers.

Gorman's start to the 2025 season has hit some snags after being relegated to a bench role behind Brendan Donovan at second and Arenado at third. In his first two starts of the year, Gorman went 4-for-6 with a homer, double, and only one strikeout. That hot start was put to a screeching halt when he was surprisingly placed on the injured list due to a minor hamstring pull. The second baseman did not go on a rehab assignment and was activated from the IL when shortstop Masyn Winn's problematic back took him out of action for the next 10 days.

Since his return, Gorman has had a total of eight at-bats, knocking a double and taking two walks in the process. The strikeouts were a non-factor before his injury, but that would be unwise to think that was sustainable after tallying a K rate near 40% last season. He is currently at a 20% and has increased his walk rate to 15% in his minimal playing time.

Remaining concern: In Walker's case, it will be worth keeping tabs on how he is able to adjust as pitchers work to find any new weaknesses at the plate. If and when Walker struggles, he may start pressing a bit, and the plate discipline concern could pop back out as he tries to become more aggressive at the plate. As Walker continues to mature on both sides of the ball, his progression so far is making him look like, at minimum, a quality major league player, but the Cardinals will need a bit more than that if they want to build a successful lineup for the future.

Gorman is a tougher one to crack because there is still no clear opportunity for playing time. For now, his best chance for consistent time would be if current DH Alec Burleson continues to struggle with power from the middle of the lineup and the Cardinals want to make a change. Besides a Burly implosion, Gorman may have to wait for an injury to the starting infield.