The Cardinals are heading into 2026 with a clearer sense of direction-and a bit more urgency. After a 2025 season that felt more like an extended tryout than a full-on reset, St.

Louis is finally making moves that reflect a deeper commitment to retooling the roster. Veterans have been moved, younger players are being pushed into bigger roles, and the front office seems ready to find out who’s part of the next contending core-and who isn’t.

That brings us to Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, two former top prospects who were supposed to be foundational pieces by now. Instead, they’re entering spring training with more pressure than ever. The Cardinals didn’t get the development they were hoping for from either player last year, and time is starting to run short-especially for Gorman.

Let’s start with Walker. He’ll open camp as the everyday right fielder, just like he did a year ago.

The tools are still there: big-time power, athleticism, and a cannon for an arm. But he hasn’t yet taken that leap from intriguing young talent to reliable big-league contributor.

If he’s going to be a fixture in the 2027 lineup and beyond, this season needs to be the one where he puts it all together.

Gorman’s situation is even more pressing. He’s two years older than Walker and has already logged over 1,500 plate appearances in the majors. He turns 26 in May, and while that’s not old by any stretch, it’s old enough to say: the breakout needs to happen now.

The opportunity is there. With Nolan Arenado traded just a couple weeks ago, third base is wide open-at least for now.

JJ Wetherholt, one of the organization’s top prospects, is knocking on the door and could even force his way onto the Opening Day roster. But if the Cardinals move Brendan Donovan in the coming weeks, that likely shifts Wetherholt to second base, leaving third base as a battle between Gorman and Thomas Saggese.

Saggese has impressed in the minors, but his ultra-aggressive approach at the plate might limit him to a utility role. Gorman, on the other hand, has shown a higher ceiling-just not recently.

He burst onto the scene with 14 homers in 89 games as a rookie, then followed that up with 27 home runs and a .236/.328/.478 slash line in his second year. That kind of power output made him a legitimate middle-of-the-order threat, despite the swing-and-miss in his game.

But the past two seasons have told a different story. Gorman has taken around 800 plate appearances since the start of 2024, and the production has cratered.

His batting average and on-base percentage have each dropped by 30 points, and his slugging has taken an even bigger hit-down more than 50 points. Over that stretch, he’s posted a .204/.284/.385 line.

That’s not going to cut it, not for a guy whose game is built around driving the ball.

The underlying profile hasn’t changed much. Gorman still draws a fair number of walks, and he still swings and misses more than you’d like.

That’s always been the tradeoff. But when he was punishing mistakes and launching balls into the seats, you could live with the strikeouts.

Now, the power isn’t showing up consistently enough to balance out the whiffs.

Injuries didn’t help last year. Gorman dealt with a hamstring strain early in the season and then missed time around the All-Star break with lower back pain.

While his stint on the injured list was brief, it’s possible he wasn’t quite right physically down the stretch. After returning, he hit just .187/.278/.323 in 45 games, striking out nearly 40% of the time.

That’s a tough way to finish a season, especially for a player who’s had recurring back issues dating back a few years.

Whether it’s the back, the timing, or something else, Gorman’s bat speed has dipped. He’s still trying to pull the ball with authority to right field-that’s where his power plays best-but it’s not coming off the bat the same way it did in 2023.

He’s also become more selective, cutting back on first-pitch swings and being more patient in the zone. That’s helped him draw a few more walks, but it’s also taken away some of the aggression that made him dangerous early in counts.

Gorman enters 2026 with between three and four years of service time and a $2.655 million arbitration salary. He’s not in danger of losing his roster spot just yet-he still has minor league options remaining-but the clock is ticking. If he turns in a third straight replacement-level season, the Cardinals could be forced to make a tough decision next winter.

For now, the opportunity is still in front of him. Third base is there for the taking.

The Cardinals are giving him another shot. But this time, the stakes are clear: it’s time for Nolan Gorman to deliver.