St. Louis Cardinals 2023 team award winners

Most Improved Player - Nolan Gorman

Nolan Gorman has always been a highly-touted player. His bat was advanced for every level he played at in the minors, and it was expected that he would show good power in the majors. While his defense wasn't stellar, he had the ability to improve steadily at second base.

In 2022, Gorman slashed .226/.300/.420 for an OPS+ of 105. Gorman hit 27 extra-base hits (14 home runs) in 283 at-bats. Perhaps the biggest struggle for Gorman offensively was his tendency to strike out -- 103 K's to 28 walks. Nolan also underperformed defensively. He was still learning a new position at second base. A -12 Outs Above Average score is nothing to write home about, even for a rookie.

In 2023, Gorman has performed much better, particularly defensively. He has a negative value still, but made a great leap forward; Gorman ended his 2023 season with -3 OAA, much better than last year. On the offensive side of the ball, Gorman slashed .236/.328/.478 with a 118 OPS+ and 27 home runs in 406 at-bats. With great steps forward defensively and good progression offensively, Gorman has earned the "Most Improved Player" award.

Andrew Knizner sure deserves a shoutout this year. He has provided solid backup innings for Willson Contreras, especially when Contreras's position was in flux at the beginning of the year. He has controlled the starting staff well and has even shown improvement offensively with a 16-point increase in his OPS+ from last year to this year.