The Cardinals' Nolan Gorman has undergone a startling defensive transformation

With JJ Wetherholt capturing fans' attention as the St. Louis Cardinals' newest highly touted rookie, and with Jordan Walker busting out early in the season, it's easy for Cardinals Nation to gloss over Nolan Gorman. And nobody would fault them for doing so, as the 25-year-old has started the season slowly, with a .209 average and a .620 OPS across 76 plate appearances despite displaying promise in spring training — another reminder that those stats don't matter.

Although Gorman hasn't delivered the production at the plate that the team and fans have hoped for, the team's newly christened starting third baseman has provided career-best defense at the hot corner following Nolan Arenado's departure.

Nobody expected Gorman to equal Arenado in defensive aptitude; Cardinals fans were just hoping Nolan the Younger wouldn't be unwatchable in the field. As the team's primary second baseman in 2024, Gorman was six outs below average and had a fielding run value of -3. In 2025, Gorman played most of his innings at third base and was nine outs below average with a -6 fielding run value.

That's all flipped on its head thus far in 2026. It's still early in the season, but Gorman is currently two outs above average and holds a +2 fielding run value. Among the league's third basemen, those numbers are a respective four-way and three-way tie for second in baseball among players with at least 100 innings at the position.

Gorman's offense still needs work, but third base is likely his for the foreseeable future.

Gorman's ceiling has lowered significantly since his days as one of the Cardinals' top prospects, as swing-and-miss problems have plagued him and recurring back issues may have sapped some of his power, but with him back at third base, where he began his professional career, the Cardinals could have a nice surprise on their hands with his newfound defensive skill set.

The Cardinals were hoping Gorman could become a rare breed in baseball: a middle infielder with significant pop in his bat. That dream may be dashed after Gorman not only displayed subpar defense at the keystone over two seasons but also failed to approach the 27 home runs he hit in 2023, winding up with 19 home runs in 2024 and 14 in 2025. Those numbers would rank in the middle of the pack for third basemen around the league, but he desperately needs to improve his contact ability, as his 34% whiff rate is 9% higher than the league average.

There aren't many prospective third basemen rising the ranks in the Cardinals' farm system; MLB Pipeline ranks Deniel Ortiz as the top third sacker in the minors for the team, placing 23rd in the Cardinals' overall prospect rankings, and scouts are bearish on his ability to remain at the position, believing he's likely destined for first base. The 31-year-old Ramon Urias is currently Gorman's main competition for playing time at third base, but with Urias not fitting in the team's long-term plans and few reinforcements likely to arrive from the minors at the position, Gorman is likely to have the hot corner more or less to himself for 2026 and potentially 2027.

It's been difficult for fans and likely the Cardinals to stomach Gorman's lack of offensive production over the last few seasons, and it hasn't looked pretty this year, either. But sometimes you have to take the small victories where you can find them, and Gorman's defensive strides shouldn't be overlooked when considering the future of the franchise and his place in it.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow