The Cardinals expected Nolan Gorman and Victor Scott II to matter in 2026. Instead, both found themselves back in Triple-A, and neither has done enough there to make a quick return look likely.
Gorman was supposed to have a major role at third base, while Scott was lined up for plenty of time in center field. But the bats never came around in the majors, and St.
Louis moved both down after rough stretches at the plate. Scott was optioned in early June, and Gorman followed in mid-June.
Gorman’s path back started with a stop in the Florida Complex League before he moved on to Triple-A in an effort to rebuild his swing. The results so far have been underwhelming.
In 23 games at Triple-A, the 26-year-old is hitting .146/.314/.317 with a .631 OPS, along with four homers and 10 RBIs. The one encouraging note is that his on-base percentage and OPS are actually better than what he posted in the majors before the demotion.
Before going down, Gorman was slashing .194/.279/.318 with a .598 OPS, seven homers and 26 RBIs. That’s still not much offensive production, and the Triple-A numbers haven’t changed the bigger picture.
Gorman has long been viewed through the lens of his power, and that part of the profile is real. He hit 27 homers and drove in 76 runs in 119 major league games in 2023.
But since then, the role has bounced around, the contact issues have stuck, and neither a regular shot at third base nor a reset in Triple-A has fixed it.
Scott’s case looks different, but the same basic problem remains: if he can’t get on base, the defense doesn’t get a chance to shine. He’s already established himself as a standout in center field, finishing in the 85th percentile in outs above average with three before his demotion. Last year, he was in the 99th percentile with 17 outs above average.
That glove is what makes him interesting, but the bat has to cooperate first. In 61 games before the move down, Scott hit .194/.276/.258 with a .534 OPS.
His Triple-A line has improved only a little. Through 28 games, he’s at .204/.293/.278 with a .570 OPS.
The batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage and OPS have all ticked up slightly, but not enough to force St. Louis’s hand just yet.
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