Do the Cardinals Still Have Hope for Jordan Walker?
The version of Walker that Cardinals fans saw in his rookie campaign seems to have disappeared. Is his star potential still in there?
Jordan Walker was the St. Louis Cardinals’ top-ranked prospect entering 2022 and 2023. He showed serious potential when he hit 16 homers in 117 games in his rookie season, but limited playing time in 2024 set him back, and the version of Walker that Cardinals fans saw in his debut campaign seems to have disappeared. So far in 2025, he is slashing .215/.273/.310 for a .583 OPS in 47 games.
On April 24, 2024, St. Louis optioned Walker to the minor leagues. At the time, he had a .497 OPS and a 42 wRC+. The Cardinals then recalled Walker on August 12. They sent him back down to Memphis eight days later, but recalled him again 10 days after that.
He saw a decent improvement in his limited time with the club in the second half. In 111 plate appearances, his OPS was .686 and his wRC+ was 89. His performance wasn’t good, but compared to the way he was hitting before he was sent down, it wasn’t awful.
However, the team completely messed with Walker’s confidence. They thought they would contend (and for a while they did) and could not afford to have a struggling youngster on the roster. Yet, the Cardinals ended up 10 games behind the Brewers for the NL Central crown and six games back of a Wild Card spot.
Jordan Walker: The Good
Walker has actually been on a tear lately. Since May 15, he is slashing .333/.353/.545 for an .898 OPS and a 150 wRC+. In that stretch, his hard-hit rate is 52.6%.
Despite his poor overall performance this year, he ranks in the 72nd percentile for hard hit rate, the 87th for average exit velocity, and the 99th for bat speed. He has an incredible amount of potential. Walker is up there with Shohei Ohtani and Aaron Judge in terms of how fast he swings the bat.
Walker also boasts great sprint speed and a strong arm. He ranks in the 85th percentile for sprint speed and the 96th for arm strength. While right field is not the position he grew up playing, he has been serviceable out there.
Jordan Walker: The Bad
While Walker has hit very well recently, it will not last. His BABIP over the last two weeks is an enormous .556. His strikeout rate since May 15 is 41.2%, and his walk rate is 2.9%. Plus, he has put the ball on the ground 47.4% of the time.
On the year, he ranks in the ninth percentile or worse in xwOBA, xBA, xSLG, squared-up rate, whiff rate and strikeout rate. Walker has provided very little value across the board. His defense has not significantly hurt the Cardinals, but it has not been great.
His hard-hit rate is good, but he is not barreling pitches up. He chases way too much and whiffs a lot. With the Cardinals playing well and putting themselves in a playoff position, how much time is left for a struggling Walker?
What’s Next for Walker and the Cardinals?
If the Cardinals were playing well below .500 and were nowhere near a playoff spot, it would make sense to let Walker play every day. It could not hurt a non-playoff team to let one of their former top prospects struggle in the pros as he tries to develop.
However, the Cardinals are well above .500 and currently in a playoff spot. Yet Walker has played in all but nine games this season. Fortunately for him, the Cardinals do not have a minor league outfielder ready to be called up to take his place.
Chase Davis, the Cardinals’ 21st overall pick in 2023, is the closest outfielder in the system to getting the call. He is doing well in Double-A, but it is unlikely he’ll be in the majors before 2026.
The Cardinals could also consider trading Walker, along with a couple of prospects, for a new outfielder. Many players that the Cardinals have traded or let walk in free agency have performed better after leaving St. Louis.
Paul Goldschmidt is the most recent example. The Cardinals chose not to re-sign him last offseason, and he is having a great year for the Yankees.
The Cards traded Tyler O’Neill in December of 2023 for Victor Santos and Nick Robertson (Santos is currently on the 60-day injured list in the minors, and Robertson is now in the Blue Jays system.) O’Neill put up an .847 OPS for the Red Sox last year, but is currently on the IL for the Orioles.
Walker could be traded this season, but the more likely scenario is that he finishes the year with St. Louis and then gets traded in the offseason.
The best solution for the Cardinals is to give him another month. Maybe his recent play will continue, and his BABIP will level out. If things do not work out, Walker should move to the bench, and Alec Burleson should spend more time out in right. The lefty has played most of his games at first base and DH this season, but he got a lot of reps in the corner outfield over the previous two years.
The Cardinals should not give up on Walker yet. Cardinals hitting coach Brant Brown has done an excellent job improving the team’s offense this year, and perhaps he can do the same for Walker.
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