Nolan Gorman DVOA, Advanced Stats, & Fantasy Rankings

As the St. Louis Cardinals transition this offseason, they are focused on letting most of their youngers players play regularly in order to evaluate their roster for the coming seasons. Infielder Nolan Gorman is one such young player set to play regularly in 2025, and the Cardinals would like to see him get close to 600 at-bats next year, according to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. In addition to Gorman, outfielder Jordan Walker should have a bigger role without the threat of being sent back to the minors. Other young players that should have key roles include Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson, Pedro Pages and Ivan Herrera. Gorman, the 19th overall pick in 2018, regressed in 2024, hitting .203/.271/.400 with a career-low .671 OPS, 19 home runs, 50 RBI and six steals in 107 games. The 24-year-old spent the final five weeks in the minors but should have an everyday role, either at second or third, in 2025.

The St. Louis Cardinals optioned infielder Nolan Gorman to Triple-A Memphis on Wednesday and recalled infielder Jose Fermin from Memphis in a corresponding move. The last straw for the Cardinals came on Tuesday night, when Gorman went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts. The 24-year-old left-handed-hitting infielder has clubbed 19 home runs in 107 games on the year, but he's also hitting just .203 (74-for-365) and has fanned a career-high 151 times and walked only 34 times in 402 plate appearances. His OPS sat at an impressive .805 last year, but it has dipped to .671 in 2024. Gorman will most likely return when rosters expand in September, but for now, he'll head to the farm to work on making more contact at the plate. Brendan Donovan is starting at second on Wednesday and batting cleanup against Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Tobias Myers, and he should see most of the starts at the keystone now.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman and outfielder Jordan Walker are absent from the starting lineup on Wednesday against the division-rival Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park as they try to avoid a sweep. Gorman will get a rest after starting in each of the last six games against right-handed pitching. Brendan Donovan will start at the keystone and bat fifth against Red right-hander Emilio Pagan. Walker started against a lefty on Monday after being recalled from Triple-A Memphis, but he's now been on the bench for two straight games against righties. Tommy Pham is starting in left field and batting eighth, while Lars Nootbaar is in right field and is hitting seventh versus Pagan. The 22-year-old Walker, once a top prospect for the Cardinals, will likely be limited to the short side of a platoon in St. Louis now that he's back in the big leagues.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman will take a seat on Friday afternoon against right-handed pitcher Javier Assad. This is now the second time in the past nine games that Gorman has sat against a right-hander. He usually retreats to the bench when facing a southpaw, but this now suggests that the 24-year-old may strictly be a bench bat going forward. As a result, Brendan Donovan will cover the keystone and bat in the eight-hole. Since June 1, Gorman has struggled to find consistency as he sits with an underwhelming .189/.246/.384 and a 12:73 BB:K ratio. Fantasy managers could feel comfortable cutting ties with Gorman in shallow leagues, given the dip in playing time. Donovan is worth a look in DFS this afternoon as he faces Cubs starter Javier Assad who has carried a high 1.88 WHIP across his past four starts.

St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman will get a day of rest on Friday for the start of a series in D.C. against the hosting Washington Nationals with a left-hander on the mound. Brendan Donovan will instead start at second and bat sixth, while Dylan Carlson will play right field and bat seventh against Nationals left-hander Patrick Corbin. It will be the second straight day that Gorman has started on the bench after St. Louis faced a southpaw on Thursday as well. The 24-year-old should be rostered in all leagues for his power (17 home runs) and run production (41 RBI), but he's hitting just .189 (52-for-275) on the season in 2024. He's been even worse against lefties, going 14-for-80 (.175) with four of his 17 home runs and 33 strikeouts.