The St. Louis Cardinals took their first loss of the season on Sunday as they fell 11-7 to the Tampa Bay Rays. They took two out of three in their first series of the season.
Despite the loss, the Cardinals flexed some muscle offensively, hitting three home runs and keeping the game relatively close. One home run came off the bat of slugger Nolan Gorman, who had strong spring training numbers and has become the Cardinals’ everyday third baseman with Nolan Arenado gone.
With his home run, Gorman is starting to look like a completely different hitter at the plate in 2026.
Nolan Gorman looks different in 2026
Feb 25, 2026; Port St. Lucie, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (16) rounds third base after hitting a three-run home run against the New York Mets in the third inning at Clover Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Gorman’s home run went over the Cardinals’ bullpen on Sunday and made the game 9-5 in the bottom of the eighth inning. The season is still young, with only three games having been played, but Gorman is all of a sudden looking like a different hitter.
He is already hitting .300/.300/.600 with a .900 OPS and four RBI to start the season. If he can keep up this pace, the Cardinals could have a completely different looking lineup.
The main difference is that Gorman is driving the ball more consistently and hitting the ball in the air. His strikeouts seem like less of a problem.
That is what has held him back over the past few seasons. He’s making better contact, better swing decisions and hitting the ball with more authority, and if he can do that, then the Cardinals may have a truly special player on their hands as they look to the future and decide who will be part of their next core.
Gorman had a 33.8 percent strikeout rate in 2025 and a 37.6 percent mark in 2024. Last season, he also posted a .666 OPS and hit just .205 during the regular season. But what seemed to be holding him back the past two years doesn’t appear to be a problem so far in 2026.
Better swing decisions can certainly help with that, and if he keeps that up, he could be a threat in the middle of the order.
The Cardinals have been waiting for both Gorman and Jordan Walker to start playing to their potential and become the power hitters they expected them to be earlier in their careers for the past two seasons. Walker has shown signs of life, but Gorman especially is looking good at the plate to start the season.
There is still time for things to change, and it wouldn’t be wise to put a lot of stock into just three games, but these are all encouraging signs. Perhaps with a full runway at third base, Gorman can become what the Cardinals have hoped he would and be a centerpiece in a young lineup.
A healthy and productive Gorman would be a net positive for the Cardinals and could lead to them outperforming their expectations in 2026.