Nolan Gorman should be the Cardinals everyday second baseman

Handedness Splits

While left-handed batters typically struggle hitting against left-handed pitchers, Gorman seems to have broken that mold this year. Since Nolan Gorman is a left-handed batter, it is reasonable to assume that he would struggle against lefties. That was definitely the case in 2022; however, the script has been flipped this year. Below are his numbers against lefties these last two years.

While these are both small sample sizes, it is obvious that Gorman has made an adjustment this year against left-handed pitchers. He is being more patient, as is evidenced by his 2% increase in walk rate. Also, he is hitting the ball much harder more often. His hard-hit percentage has gone up by nearly 5% this year compared to last year.

Despite these drastic improvements in his ability to hit lefties, Gorman is still absent in lineups when a left-handed pitcher is on the mound, most recently on August 25th against the Phillies. Instead, Taylor Motter, a career .190 hitter, got the start despite Gorman having been just activated off the Injured List. While Gorman's numbers against righties have dipped slightly, he is still an above-average hitter at the plate. He has improved his plate discipline, hit pitch selection, and his power numbers.