By Rob Rains
MEMPHIS – Nolan Gorman, Victor Scott II and Thomas Saggese were all optioned to Memphis by the Cardinals within days of each other in early June in hopes that some time back in Triple A would be beneficial for them.
The fact that all three are still here two months later doesn’t mean that they aren’t making progress toward that goal.
Gorman, Scott II and Saggese all know why they were sent down – it’s not like they were happy with their performance during the first two months of the major-league season.
All three used the same two words about what they are trying to accomplish here: “get better.”
“They haven’t taken the time for granted. They are putting in really quality work, day in and day out, and they are reaping the benefits for it. Sometimes you don’t see those benefits immediately, but you are going to see the results soon.”
The progress that Gorman, Scott II and Saggese are making isn’t always reflected in the daily box scores. Sometimes it is simply a matter of how they feel about their game.
“It was a situation where I needed to make improvements,” Gorman said. “More so than anything it was to get myself better; to get back to what I know I can be.”
Gorman hit 27 home runs during his rookie season with the Cardinals in 2023 but hasn’t been able to match that level of success since.
From May 1 of this year until he was optioned, first going to the organization’s hitting lab in Florida before joining the Triple A team, Gorman hit just .163 with two doubles and three home runs in 98 at-bats. Forty percent of those at-bats ended in a strikeout.
“Looking back to spring training I thought I was in a really good spot and still felt that way into May,” Gorman said. “I was unlucky with some hard-hit balls, but I had the lowest strikeout rate of my career, my walk rate was above league average and my average exit velocity was there.
“But I started chasing, trying to hit changeups or whatever. I went down a rabbit hole of trying to jump everything and it just didn’t work. I fell into old habits.
Johnson has the advantage of having managed Gorman, Scott II and Saggese when they came through Memphis the first time – on their way up to the big leagues – so he has a good reference point of what they need to do to be the player he, and they, know they can be.
“He’s in a different head space now,” Johnson said about Gorman. “He’s had some ups and downs but he carries himself differently, in a great way. He’s played hard every day. It hasn’t affected his work ethic or attitude. He’s been there for his teammates.
“I’m proud of the fact that he is willing to not let the results of what is going on in the game affect him. He’s got a process. He’s working on something that’s bigger than what it is we’re doing right here. The power is for real, it’s always been there. It’s about more bat to ball.”
The 26-year-old Gorman believes a trip to the Maven baseball lab in Atlanta over the All-Star break provided him with information that has been helpful in understanding what he has been doing wrong and how to correct the problems.
“They’ve got a ton of cameras and you can see everything,” he said. “Honestly since the All-Star break I’ve felt really good. Just working through some things every day.”
Since Aug. 1, Gorman has gone 14-of-63, just a .222 average, but that’s better than he hit in June and July. Seven of the hits have been home runs. He has struck out 25 times, but some of those have been a part of the process of the changes Gorman is making to his swing.
“I’ve learned a lot about myself and what I need from being here,” Gorman said. “I’ve got a lot to offer. There’s a lot more in there. I’m just here to try to get myself better.
“What I can control is just going out and having good at-bats and hit the ball hard and continue to work.”
Scott II, like Gorman, believes he has seen better results in his performance the last few weeks.
“It’s tough, it’s been challenging, but you figure out a lot about yourself when you’re not in the spotlight,” Scott II said. “You see the true character of your performance. What you want to do with your game kind of comes out. You get to hone in on those things when you are here.”
In 18 games in August, Scott has posted a .304 average with four doubles, two triples and nine stolen bases. He has also drawn nine walks.
“I see Victor finally finding his identity at the plate,” Johnson said. “He’s getting more comfortable with being athletic and understanding who he is as a hitter and staying within that space.”
Scott’s focus has been on hitting line drives and hard ground balls the opposite way, and being able to turn and pull inside pitches when he gets a chance.
“For a few weeks now he’s getting results, which is exciting for me,” Johnson said. “His identity is in line with what it needs to be right now. When he first got here he knew what he wanted to do but I don’t know if he knew exactly how he wanted to do it.”
Scott’s goal, like that of Gorman and Saggese, is to use his time here to be ready to contribute again to the major-league club when he gets that chance.
“You want to get back up to the big club in order to help win ballgames,” he said. “I want to take ownership of my swing and my game. I want to continue to grow and get better each day, that’s all it comes down to.
“I feel like I’ve been more consistent. I feel happier with what I’ve done in recent weeks. I have more confidence. … God has a plan for everybody and whenever it’s going to be your time for something it will happen. I’m just trusting in His plan and my hard work and my process. That’s kind of how I am going about it.”
Saggese has many of the same thoughts and opinions as Gorman and Scott II, but he also knows he is in a slightly different place in his career.
He never really had a chance to play regularly with the Cardinals, he is younger than the other two (24) and when he was optioned, he was not as upset because he welcomed the chance to play more.
“I want to be up there but if I want to be up there I’ve got to play better,” Saggese said. “I didn’t play much but I didn’t do well. If I want to play more I’ve to do better. It’s pretty simple.
“If I’m not going to help the team win why are you going to put me in the lineup?”
Since July 1, he has posted a .267 average with seven homers and 24 RBIs. He extended his current hitting streak to seven games on Sunday.
“It comes back to trusting what I do well and focusing on those things,” Saggese said. “The things I do poorly, make them a little bit better. It still hasn’t been the year that I wanted but it has been teaching me lessons. ‘What are you here to do?’ I’m here to learn, to see in what ways I can make my game better.”
Johnson has noticed the improvements, and like with Gorman and Scott II, he appreciates the way Saggese has gone about his job.
“It’s funny; all three have completely different personalities, night and day,” Johnson said. “How we approach that on this end is different with all three players. It’s nice to have a background with all of these guys.
“Tommy just has a southern California beach vibe. He’s always got a smile on his face and is a happy go lucky kid. I think that’s a lot of why he has success. He doesn’t let negatives beat him up.”
Saggese has had enough experience that he can tell if something is working at the Triple A level, how it will translate in the major leagues. That’s what he is working on every day.
“What do I need to have success?” is the question he asks himself.
“Definitely I can do things better,” he said. “I feel like I’m still learning. Some people get it figured out by now but I haven’t, unfortunately.
“Even in my best years in the minors I would have weeks where I got two or three hits. Whatever you do you’re going to have those times. My main thing is ‘Stick to what I do well, know the player I am and ask how am I going to get better today?’”
Follow Rob Rains on X @RobRains
Photos by The Associated Press and courtesy of the Memphis Redbirds
*To hear Nolan Gorman talking about something that has helped him, listen to our “Rains on the Cardinals” Podcast from this week: CLICK HERE.
