Jordan Walker, a high school outfielder, was selected by the St. Louis Cardinals in the first round of the 2021 MLB June Amateur Draft. That’s exactly what has occurred if you recall that name being well-known a few years ago but haven’t heard anything about him since.
Walker was the Cardinals’ top prospect going into 2023 after spending a few years honing his skills in the lower levels. The young Cardinal made the opening day roster after showcasing his skills throughout Spring Training.
After that, he had a fantastic rookie season, hitting and participating in 117 games. 276 with 16 home runs, 51 RBI, and a.787 OPS. However, Walker has had a lot of difficulties since 2023.
Is Walker’s Preparation the Issue?
For Walker, the past two years have been difficult. With just five home runs annually, the Cardinals’ outfielder slashed.201/.366/.619 in 2024 and.220/.313/.587 this season.
Walker’s preparation was cited by Cardinals manager Oli Marmol and hitting instructor Brant Brown, who joined KMOX, FM 104.1, on Tuesday, as a major factor in the young outfielder’s demise.
He will eventually need to set aside more time to focus on preparedness. Brown stated, “We’ve had lengthy discussions with this” (h/t stlsportscentral.com). “It’s not only looking at film on the starter, but also being able to come in and the first day of a series, like just take a look at all the bullpen guys, like all the information and videos available, just so we’re not, you know, getting snuck up on when a (reliever) comes in.”
Brown went on to say that the squad as a whole, not just Walker, has a propensity to sell out on particular pitches.
As a team, we have a propensity to use the phrase “I’m going to sell out to this pitch and sell out to that pitch” when it comes to execution, Brown stated (via stlsportscentral.com). “I think not only [Walker] but as a group, historically, as Cardinals hitters are struggling, they try to swing their way out, instead of hit their way out.”
As a club, the Cardinals are ranked ninth in OPS (.699) and fourteenth in batting average (.247) in the Major Leagues. Walker, however, is among the team’s worst qualifying hitters.
His hitting coach thinks that his lack of effort to improve is the main reason for his difficulties.
“And the one thing with [Walker] is that we’ve kind of played a huge game of tennis going back and forth with what he feels he needs to do versus what he really needs to do,” Brown stated (source: stlsportscentral.com). And unless we can get him to commit completely to simply saying, ‘All right, this is where I’m at,’… It’s not the best, you know, if I look at the stats.”
Walker was selected in the first round and had a fantastic rookie season, which has highlighted his difficulties. But the outfielder for the Cardinals is only 23 years old.
Although Brown was direct about Walker’s lack of preparation, the pitching coach for the Cardinals thinks Walker can succeed if he works hard.
“There’s a fairly simple way out for me. Simply put, Brown stated that in order to accomplish our goals, he might need to feel a little more uneasy (h/t stlsportscentral.com). “I think it will be up to Jordan Walker when he is ready to be good. We are all aware of the possibilities. He may not even be aware of the ceiling, in my opinion.
Walker, who has just one hit in his previous 21 at-bats and is now in a 0–15 slump, will get Tuesday off. On Wednesday, the Cardinals will wrap off their three-game series against the Oakland Athletics.
