After struggling defensively at third base late in the 2025 season, Nolan Gorman has cleared up some of the Cardinals' biggest offseason questions by thriving defensively at that position so far this season.
ST. LOUIS – Among the Cardinals’ biggest concerns coming into the 2026 season after trading away 10-time Gold Glove winner Nolan Arenado was how Nolan Gorman would play defensively at third base, a position the played almost exclusively early in his baseball life before shifting to second base to accommodate the future Hall of Famer.
Gorman, 26, has been so solid at third base thus far that he admitted recently that he is having as much fun this year as he’s ever in his 4 ½ seasons as a big leaguer.
“I’m not saying this is the Minor Leagues, but there’s kind of that vibe where we’ve just got a bunch of young grinders who pick each other up,” Gorman said of a Cardinals squad that doesn’t have a position player who has reached the 30-year-old plateau. “Whether we win or lose, we all turn the page quickly and we’re just having a lot of fun together.”
The 6-foot, 225-pound Gorman got to the big leagues on the strength of his bat, but he’s having plenty of fun at third base. He went into Sunday’s game against the Royals tied for third among all National League third basement in Outs Above Average, a defensive metric that measures range, glove skills and arm strength. Only Max Muncy and Manny Machado have been better defensively at third base in the NL, while Gorman is tied with high-paid stars Bo Bichette and Matt Chapman. Also, there’s this: In terms of Outs Above Average, Gorman (plus-2) has played a better third base than Arenado (zero) with the Diamondbacks.
That’s quite a bit of growth for Gorman, who worked throughout the offseason to get his feet and hands quicker to play the hot corner. The growth needed in those areas became very apparent at the end of the 2025 season when Gorman switched from second base to third base after Arenado went on the Injured List.
In 54 games at third in 2025, Gorman committed six errors. His rating at third base (minus-nine Outs Above Average) was actually worse than his overall rating while splitting time at second (minus-8). Not only did Gorman struggle with the movement needed to charge slow rollers and bunts in front of him in 2025, but he was hit hard by errors when throws often tailed right and into runners.
This season, Gorman has just one fielding snafu in 31 games. His defensive rating has been sound whether he’s had to go to his right or left, and quicker feet has allowed him to be much more efficient when charging balls. Also, he's thrived defensively while giving the Cardinals five homers, four doubles and 23 RBI while trying to keep his strikeout total (46) in check.
Gorman's movement has been biggest growth
Gorman made one of his best plays of the season on Saturday when he ranged three steps to his left and cut off a ball before it got to Gold Glove shortstop Masyn Winn. Then, knowing that Royals’ DH/catcher Salvador Perez was running, Gorman calmly spun and threw a strike to first to register the out.
Cardinals’ manager Oliver Marmol, who has resisted the temptation to move Gorman to first or second base so that he can concentrate fully on third, thought that play summed up a lot of the growth in Gorman’s defense in that it involved range, composure and a solid throw.
“It was that combination of moving better, having that internal clock, knowing the runner, knowing himself and not rushing,” Marmol raved. “He’s had a couple of plays this season where he’s had to spin and throw. But knowing that Salvy was running there, he knew he could be a little more under control.”
Marmol considers the defensive growth of Gorman as one of the biggest achievements of the season. He has helped shore up a Cardinals defense that ranks third in MLB in Defensive Runs Saved. The Cards’ 28 DRS trails only the 39 of the Red Sox and the 29 of the Dodgers.
“He’s moving so much better side to side and that was a topic of conversation all offseason and Spring Training,” Marmol admitted candidly. “He’s worked hard at it, and I think we’re starting to see the results of that because side to side, he’s done a much better job.”
Gorman should get a lot of credit, Marmol said, for doing as well as he has at one of the game’s most physically demanding positions. And as a player with a long history of bac injuries, the Cardinals have had to be smart how they work Gorman at third base to not put his back in jeopardy.
“My hope was (that Gorman could be a plus-defender) and now it’s a matter of the work translating and being appropriate,” Marmol said. “What I mean by that is he has to continue to work enough to grow, but not so much so that it flares up his back. He has to find that balance, and if he can he’s good enough to be an above-average defender.”
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