The St. Louis Cardinals finished last in 2023, but they are unlikely to repeat such a horrible season.
For starters, they still have a strong veteran core, led by Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, and Willson Contreras, among others.
They also improved their pitching staff with several additions.
On top of that, they do have some young players with upside.
One of them is Nolan Gorman, who broke out in 2023 with 27 home runs, 76 RBI, and a 118 wRC+ (league average offensive performance is 100).
Gorman, however, missed a lot of time in the second half with lower back tightness.
The issue also limited his performance when he was in the lineup for the better part of the last two or three seasons.
His back hasn’t been a problem in spring training, though.
Gorman told Cardinals insider John Denton that a very specific diet change helped him lose weight and ease some of the pressure off his back.
“Nolan Gorman says switching from popcorn brands that use peanut oil to ones that utilize coconut oil has helped him overcome his recurring back issues. The new diet has helped him shed 8 pounds and his back which has bothered him for 3+ years is finally pain-free,” B/R Walk-Off tweeted.
Nolan Gorman says switching from popcorn brands that use peanut oil to ones that utilize coconut oil has helped him overcome his recurring back issues
The new diet has helped him shed 8 pounds and his back which has bothered him for 3+ years is finally pain-free
(via… pic.twitter.com/Ya14cNF1CN
It’s amazing how a simple dietary change can unlock so much in a person, let alone in a player.
Just the sole fact he feels better could help him take the next step in his development.
Gorman’s power can’t be denied, but if he could make contact more consistently, the Cards could have a higher floor and ceiling this upcoming season.
Despite his solid offensive output in 2023, it’s clear by his .236 batting average and 31.9 percent strikeout rate that he could get even better.
The Cardinals are hoping he can do just that.