Nolan Gorman Bio
Nolan Brian Gorman is an American professional baseball infielder for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). Born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, Gorman was drafted by the Cardinals out of high school in the 2018 Major League Baseball draft and quickly became one of the top prospects in baseball. He worked his way through the Cardinals’ minor-league system before making his MLB debut in 2022 and becoming a regular part of the team’s starting lineup. A power-hitting middle infielder, Gorman has developed into a run-producing presence in the middle of the St. Louis order.
Early Life and Background
Nolan Brian Gorman was born on May 10, 2000, in Phoenix, Arizona. He grew up in the Phoenix area and attended Sandra Day O’Connor High School, where he starred as a left-handed hitting infielder. As a sophomore in 2016, he batted .490 with 11 home runs and 49 runs batted in, establishing himself as one of the most feared high school hitters in the country.
In 2017, Gorman batted .361 with 11 home runs and 34 runs batted in as a junior. That July, he won the MLB High School Home Run Derby in Miami, Florida, and later that month he played in the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game, where he also won that event’s home run derby. In September 2017, he played for the USA Baseball 18U National Team, helping lead Team USA to its fourth consecutive gold medal.
As a senior in 2018, Gorman slashed .421/.641/.894 with 10 home runs, helping lead Sandra Day O’Connor to a 6A baseball state championship. Gorman had committed to play college baseball at the University of Arizona in August 2015, but his strong senior season pushed him into consideration as a top overall draft pick. He was the first player born in the year 2000 to be drafted by an MLB team.
Path to Major League Baseball
The St. Louis Cardinals selected Gorman in the first round, with the 19th overall pick, of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He signed with St. Louis for $3.231 million and was assigned to the Johnson City Cardinals of the Rookie Appalachian League. He homered in the second at-bat of his first professional game and was later named an Appalachian League All-Star and the league’s Player of the Week for July 30 to August 5. After batting .345/.440/.662 with 11 home runs and 28 runs batted in across 37 games, he was promoted to the Peoria Chiefs of the Class A Midwest League in August.
Gorman returned to Peoria to begin the 2019 season and was named the Midwest League’s first Player of the Week for the season on April 15 after batting .395 with four home runs and 13 runs batted in. In June, he was named to the Midwest League All-Star Game and competed in its Home Run Derby, then was promoted to the Palm Beach Cardinals of the Class A-Advanced Florida State League. In July, he represented the Cardinals in the 2019 All-Star Futures Game alongside Dylan Carlson. Over 125 games between Peoria and Palm Beach, Gorman slashed .248/.326/.439 with 15 home runs and 62 runs batted in.
Nolan Gorman Career
Minor League Development (2018–2021)
To begin the 2021 season, Gorman was assigned to the Springfield Cardinals of the Double-A Central. On June 12, 2021, in a game against the Arkansas Travelers, he became the first Springfield player to hit three home runs in a regular-season game. After slashing .288/.354/.508 with 11 home runs and 27 runs batted in over 43 games, he was promoted to the Memphis Redbirds of the Triple-A East in late June. That same month, Gorman was selected to represent the Cardinals in his second All-Star Futures Game, this time alongside Matthew Liberatore. Over 76 games with Memphis, Gorman slashed .274/.320/.465 with 14 home runs and 48 runs batted in, and he was later selected to play in the Arizona Fall League for the Glendale Desert Dogs, where he was named to the Fall Stars Game.
MLB Debut and 2022 Season
Gorman returned to Memphis to begin the 2022 season. After slashing .308/.367/.677 with 15 home runs and 23 runs batted in across 34 games, the Cardinals announced on May 19 that they would be selecting his contract and promoting him to the major leagues to make his MLB debut the next day as the starting second baseman. In his first at-bat, he singled against Zach Thompson of the Pittsburgh Pirates and finished the night one-for-three with a walk. On May 28, Gorman hit his first MLB home run versus Adrian Houser of the Milwaukee Brewers in an 8-3 win, and on June 21, against the Brewers, he recorded his first two-home run game.
On July 2, 2022, Gorman hit the second of a record-tying four consecutive home runs, the 11th such occurrence in major league history. At Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia, Nolan Arenado, Gorman, Juan Yepez, and Dylan Carlson all homered off Phillies starter Kyle Gibson with two outs in the first inning, marking the first time the Cardinals had accomplished the feat and the first time it occurred in the first inning. On September 19, the Cardinals optioned him to Memphis, but he was added back to the roster for the Wild Card Series. Over 89 games and 283 at-bats with St. Louis, he slashed .226/.300/.420 with 14 home runs, 35 runs batted in, and 13 doubles.
Establishing Himself (2023)
Gorman started for the Cardinals on 2023 Opening Day as their designated hitter. On May 22, 2023, Gorman was named the National League Player of the Week after batting .458 with four home runs and 11 runs batted in. Gorman appeared in 119 games for the Cardinals, batting .236 with 27 home runs and 76 runs batted in. He missed time during the season due to back injuries.
St. Louis Cardinals Era (2024–Present)
Gorman opened the 2024 season as the Cardinals’ starting second baseman. He was optioned to Memphis on August 21 after holding an MLB-worst 37.6% strikeout rate, and spent the remainder of the season there. Over 107 games played with St. Louis, Gorman hit .203 with 19 home runs and 50 runs batted in.
Gorman opened the 2025 season with St. Louis before being placed on the injured list with a hamstring strain. He missed over a week before being activated. In July, he was placed back on the injured list with back pain. Gorman rehabbed with Springfield before returning to St. Louis.
Driving Style and Strengths
After the Cardinals acquired All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado before the 2021 season, Gorman transitioned from third base to second base. He is a left-handed power hitter whose calling card has been extra-base production, including multi-home run games in each of his first three MLB seasons. His approach has produced high strikeout totals, which has been the main swing-and-miss concern the Cardinals have worked to address.
Notable Events and Milestones
Gorman’s signature MLB moment came on July 2, 2022, when he hit the second of four consecutive home runs for the Cardinals in Philadelphia, a feat that had only happened 10 other times in major league history. He was also the first player born in the year 2000 to be drafted by an MLB team, was named a Midwest League All-Star in 2019, and was selected to the All-Star Futures Game twice.
Nolan Gorman Career Wins
As a position player, Nolan Gorman’s individual statistical milestones have been tracked through batting accomplishments rather than win totals. Across his minor-league stops, he won multiple Player of the Week honors and earned All-Star selections in the Appalachian League and the Midwest League, along with invitations to the All-Star Futures Game in 2019 and 2021.
MLB Performance Highlights
In 2022, Gorman hit 14 home runs with 35 runs batted in across 89 games in his rookie season. In 2023, he set a personal best with 27 home runs and 76 runs batted in across 119 games while earning National League Player of the Week honors in May. In 2024, he added 19 home runs and 50 runs batted in across 107 games with St. Louis before finishing the year in Memphis.
Other Wins and Performances
As a senior at Sandra Day O’Connor High School, Gorman helped lead the team to a 6A baseball state championship in 2018. He also won the MLB High School Home Run Derby in Miami in July 2017, the Under Armour All-America Baseball Game home run derby later that month, and helped Team USA win a gold medal in the 18U National Team competition in September 2017.
Nolan Gorman Family
Family Background and Personal Connections
Gorman has been friends with fellow 2018 first round pick and Cardinals teammate Matthew Liberatore since they were five years old. The two played together in the minor leagues and later on the Cardinals’ major-league roster.
Personal Life
Gorman and his wife, Madison, married on December 31, 2024, in Chandler, Arizona.
2025 Season Performance
Gorman began the 2025 campaign with the St. Louis Cardinals as a member of the team’s infield group. A hamstring strain in the early part of the season sent him to the injured list, and he missed more than a week before being activated and returning to the lineup. Midseason brought another setback, as back pain landed him back on the injured list in July, prompting a rehab assignment with Springfield before he returned to St. Louis.
Through the ups and downs of injuries, the Cardinals have continued to feature Gorman in the middle of their order, banking on his left-handed power as a key part of their run production. His role has remained focused on second base and designated hitter duties, with the team working to manage his strikeout rate while keeping his bat in the lineup. His return from the rehab assignment was designed to give the Cardinals another power-hitting option down the stretch.
Looking ahead, Gorman’s 2025 outlook hinges on staying healthy and cutting into his strikeout totals. If he can hold down a regular role at second base while delivering the kind of home run production he showed in 2023, he is positioned to remain a building block in the Cardinals’ infield for years to come.