ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - 2025 is a big year for Nolan Gorman.
With the St. Louis Cardinals putting more an emphasis on youth this season, it puts more of a spotlight on Gorman, the Cardinals top draft pick all the way back in 2018.
Gorman had a tough 2024 season, slashing a .203/.271/.400 slash line with an OPS of .671 and only 19 home runs. Gorman had one of the highest strikeout rates in all of baseball last season, with Gorman's 37.6% strikeout rate second-worst in all of baseball for hitters with at least 400 plate appearances.
Gorman's tough 2024 season also feature a demotion to Triple-A in August 2024, where he would spend the rest of the 2024 season, appearing in 23 games for the Memphis Redbirds.
2025 is now a new and fresh opportunity for Gorman to turn the page and have a comeback year, and one person that believes he can is Cardinals manager Oli Marmol.
Marmol discussed Gorman to reporters on Thursday and says Gorman is 'at the top of list' of players he's excited to see this season.
"There's a quiet confidence to him," said Marmol. "Regardless of how it's going, there's still a steadiness to his game that I admire. He doesn't panic, he knows himself."
Marmol says this past offseason was 'incredible' for Gorman, who worked with new Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown a lot in Arizona.
"I think he's a really talented player. There's a lot in the tank there when it comes to those power numbers," said Marmol. "He's worked hard with Brant all offseason. When I say everyday, it was everyday. It was a lot."
"I think we're going to see a really really good version of him."