Nolan Gorman aiming to rebound from rough 2024

Down, not up — and work, not results—the keys to a recovery for Gorman

Jupiter, Florida – Nolan Gorman, the Cardinals’ slugger of the future, has adopted a counterintuitive approach to his swing and confidence at the plate this spring in order to return to his 2023 form, where he smashed a team-high 27 home runs.

The 24-year-old infielder’s mind is currently preoccupied on swinging down rather than above. Gorman, who is normally mild-mannered, said his confidence stems not from his hits or home runs, but from the work he does long before games.

Sure, it’s not like most. But it’s the sort of attitude Gorman believes can help him overcome a forgettable 2024 and return to the days when he appeared to be the most promising hitter in the Cardinals’ organisation.

Gorman, who led the Cardinals to a 9-5 victory over the Blue Jays on Saturday at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, attributed his confidence to his preparation.

“Confidence is a feeling derived only from preparedness. It is how you feel and carry yourself that matters, not how many hits you get or how many home runs you hit. You still have to do it the next day, and you need to prepare the same manner. You cannot slack off simply because you had a successful game. I believe confidence is in the preparation.”

Gorman has been preparing since the spring, when he and new hitting coach Brant Brown built a close bond. When Brown discovered that the two of them lived just blocks away in suburban Phoenix during the offseason, they hung out at the coach’s house and hit together many times each week. That work has continued into this spring, when Gorman has grown closer to a coach who has been at his side for support.

“He got to know me really well this offseason, so it’s easy for him to have trust in me and know what I’m working on because we got so familiar with each other,” Gorman told reporters.

Much of the Cardinals’ aspirations for a drastically stronger offence in 2025 are predicated on rebound seasons from 22-year-old outfielders Jordan Walker and Gorman. Both failed to make consistent contact in ’24, so they spent substantial time in Triple-A Memphis working on their swings. Walker returned to the lineup on Saturday after missing 11 days due to left knee soreness.

Nolan Gorman’s two-homerun game

If Walker and Gorman can demonstrate the potential they showed in 2023, they might stretch a St. Louis lineup that struggled with runners in scoring position last year.

“They’re the ones who could drive that power column or have the ability to, so getting them opportunities is what it’s about,” said Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, whose organisation has declared that getting Walker and Gorman 500 at-bats each is a season priority.

“These are players who have seen the major leagues and understand how the league has pitched to and handled them. Now they need to make changes to turn the tables on the league.”

Gorman, who has long been known for his light-tower power, has made a significant shift this summer, focussing on hitting down on the baseball rather than lifting it for home runs. His uppercut swing has previously hampered his ability to reach high pitches, and it undoubtedly contributed to his strikeout percentage skyrocketing to an MLB-worst 37.6% last season. This season, Gorman intends to focus on swinging more down on the ball, which will keep his bat in the zone longer.

“I’m sure a lot of people out there have heard the older guys say, ‘Swing down, swing down,’ something Albert [Pujols] talked about, as well as [Alex Rodriguez] and Barry Bonds,” said Gorman, who blasted 19 home runs in a rough 2024. “My swing raises the ball naturally. When I try to raise the ball, it gets too heavy. I sort of went the wrong way with what I was attempting to achieve [in ’24]. It was a valuable learning experience for me to be able to return to what I do best.”

Gorman excels in maintaining a calm demeanour. While some may press after a disappointing 2024, Gorman is again going the opposite route.

“There are high expectations, but there’s no reason to put pressure on yourself when you’re playing a game,” he told me. “You’re obviously competing for your well-being and your life, but the past year or future years, they’re all the same to me.”

The season is barely two weeks old, but for some players, the first few games feel more crucial.

Across the league, some players are returning after missing the majority, if not all, of last season due to injuries. So far, rust isn’t much of an issue, with a few stars showing indications of regaining their shape.

Here are ten players who have already returned to form after recovering from an injury.

All stats were updated through Wednesday’s games.

After undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2023, Alcantara went 18 months without making a regular-season game. One of baseball’s top workhorses is still working his way back up, pitching five innings or less in each of his first two starts, but don’t tell the batters. Alcantara’s power sinker has the highest arm-side movement in the Majors this season, with an average of nearly 20 inches. This has resulted in several swings, including Tommy Pham’s, as well as a ground ball rate in the 97th percentile. Not to add that in a short sample size, all three of his non-fastball options had significant whiff percentages.

From 2021 to 2023, only Freddie Freeman and Trea Turner had more hits than Bichette, who led the AL in base knocks in consecutive seasons. But 2024 was a lost cause: Bichette had a career-low.599 OPS and three different spells on the IL. This season, a healthy Bichette has quickly re-established himself at the top of the Blue Jays’ order. The two-time All-Star has already had three games with at least three hits, matching his total from last year. His xBA (.353) is in the 97th percentile.

With Tommy John surgery behind him, deGrom enters his third year with the Rangers in full health. He is one of the most dominant pitchers in baseball history. The 36-year-old may appear different since he throws his four-seamer less frequently and with less velocity (albeit for deGrom, “diminished” means 96.7 mph on average). However, this is intentional, with the goal of sacrificing triple-digit heat for long-term health. Through two starts, deGrom has demonstrated that he still has enough of weapons to confuse batters. The wipeout slider no longer functions properly. He’s also broadened his repertoire by reintroducing his changeup and curveball.