Cardinals hitting coach admits plan with slugger has changed

While the St. Louis Cardinals look to bring some type of energy and excitement to the sparse crowds at Busch Stadium for the last month of the 2025 season, some guys on the roster are playing for their future with the organization. With a lost season, it is sometimes difficult to separate the growing pains from the expectations of top prospects, but the Cardinals' offense has seen many of their offensive players fall below those desired outcomes this season.

One such player who the Cardinals hoped would take a big jump was infielder Nolan Gorman, who showed plenty of potential as a second baseman with 30-homer power in 2023. That success has been few and far between, though, for a variety of reasons, including health, opportunity, and his ability to make adjustments at the plate. Seeking new ways to reach Gorman, new hitting coach Brant Brown visited the lefty slugger this offseason to find something that clicks.

However, Gorman's playing time was in question after the team was unable to move Nolan Arenado this offseason and had a logjam of left-handed hitting players with a better track record than Gorman. The infielder got off to a slow start, as he had just one home run through May, a stretch where he only saw time in 31 games. The strikeouts remained a problem, and the lack of power did not help his cause when he was healthy. June, though, saw Gorman turn a little bit of a corner, as he popped six homers, three doubles, drove in 16, and walked 10 times against 27 strikeouts. Yes, the strikeouts are and probably will always be an issue, but he hit .256 and was one of the team's most productive hitters for the month. July, though, saw that production tail off, and when paired with a stay on the injured list, Gorman was running out of time to make his case for next year's roster.

Brant Brown said that the initial plan they had with Nolan Gorman did not pan out.

August saw Gorman receive more opportunities, as Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, and others have had extended stays on the injured list. In an interview with The Gashouse Gang on KMOX (31:30), Brown joined manager Oli Marmol to discuss the inconsistent performance of the offense. When asked about Gorman, the hitting coach said that they adjusted his stance, and they felt that the new setup allowed him to see more of the plate. He admitted that there were times of positivity, but they were often overshadowed by at-bats that ended with the question "What are you swinging at?" It's the same question that many of us have while sitting on our sofas.

However, in something that was a little contrary to Brown's comments about another one of their young bats, while Gorman is still not a finished product, the first-year hitting coach did say that Gorman has been diligent with getting in the cage and took to the adjustments they suggested. The lefty slugger is drawing walks at a career-high 13%, and his strikeout rate is actually his lowest, although still at an abysmal 31%. Those rates are near that of Kyle Schwarber, although he strikes out a bit less, and Gorman has shown power potential. The Cardinals have been without a middle-of-the-order threat for some time, and if Gorman can be a percentage of Schwarber, he could create a near-everyday role for himself.