The Cardinals have maintained this season is primarily about evaluating young players. It felt like a potential make-or-break year for Jordan Walker, in particular. Walker was viewed as an impact bat when he was a prospect. He impressed with a .276/.342/.445 showing with 16 homers as a 21-year-old rookie.
That promising debut feels like an increasingly distant memory. Walker regressed to a .201/.253/.366 line in 51 major league games last year. He spent a good portion of the season in Triple-A, where he was an average hitter. The Cards maintained that Walker would play every day in the majors this year. That’d give them more clarity on whether he projects as a core piece as John Mozeliak turns over baseball operations to Chaim Bloom going into 2026.
The audition has not gone well. Walker has battled a couple health issues. He missed a few weeks in early June with wrist inflammation, then lost around three weeks in the middle of the summer to appendicitis. He has been unproductive when healthy. Walker has managed just five home runs across 331 plate appearances. He’s batting .218/.272/.309 while striking out at a career-high 31.7% clip.
There are 249 hitters who have taken at least 300 trips to the plate. Walker is among the bottom ten in both on-base percentage and slugging. Most of the players with similarly poor numbers at least have defensive value to fall back upon. Walker is already in a corner outfield spot and grades as a well below-average right fielder. He hasn’t shown any sustained signs of figuring things out offensively. Walker carries a .229/.279/.328 line with poor strikeout and walk numbers in 37 games since his second injured list stint.
The Cardinals have continued playing him regularly, as they said they would coming into the season. That probably won’t carry into 2026 if Walker doesn’t make significant improvements. Hitting coach Brant Brown and manager Oli Marmol each had a blunt assessment of the 23-year-old on Tuesday.
“At some point in time, he’s going to have to devote more focus on preparation,” Brown told Bernie Miklasz of KMOX when asked what it’ll take for Walker to be more consistent (around 10:30 mark). “We’ve had long conversations with this. It’s not only looking at film on the (opposing) starter but also being able to come in on the first day of a series and taking a look at all the bullpen guys. All the information and video is available. Just so we’re not getting snuck up on when a guy comes in.” Brown then spoke more generally about the offense and suggested some hitters have had a tendency to press, especially when they’re going through slumps, and become overly focused on targeting specific pitches.
After Brown’s comments, Marmol spoke with Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I need to see Jordan have a sense of urgency for the things that need to take place in order to give him consistent results,” the skipper said in response to a question about the team’s short-term hope. “That goes with his move toward the ball, his preparation in the cage but also his approach in a game. … You have to start to see progress. It think it’s important as you are evaluating the next month, you need to start to see progress and consistency.”
Walker addressed Marmol’s comments yesterday. He said he “(doesn’t) quite understand the urgency part” of the manager’s statement (link via Jeff Jones of The Belleville News-Democrat). Walker pointed to his best stretch of the season, when he hit .304 with a .373 on-base percentage in the first two weeks out of the All-Star Break. He said he felt comfortable with his approach during that run and was working with Brown to get back to that feel.
The coaches maintained they believe Walker can have a bright future. “There’s a combination of talent but also I do feel there’s going to be buy-in. There’s a level of aptitude there that’ll allow for it,” Marmol told KMOX. “He’s young. … Walker did have a little bit of success when he first came up here. Once they know how to pitch you, they just double down on that until you prove that you can combat it. He hasn’t shown the ability to do that yet.
There’s enough talent there that I’m nowhere close to giving up on Jordan Walker,” Marmol continued. “There are adjustments to be made. There’s a commitment to the pregame work that can get to a better level, and Brownie spoke to that earlier. … I feel like he has an opportunity to make these adjustments and be the type of player that we were hoping for when he first got up here.”
That may well be the case, but the Cardinals will be hard-pressed to commit to Walker as an everyday player if they more seriously hope to compete for a playoff spot in 2026. Bloom was not part of the front office when Walker was drafted or developed into a top prospect. It’s not clear how bullish he is on the player.
Walker still has a minor league option remaining, so the Cards could send him back to Triple-A Memphis next season. That’d buy them another development season but runs the risk of completely tanking his trade value if he doesn’t improve. There’d surely be teams willing to take a flier on Walker this offseason if the Cardinals wanted to move on in a sell-low trade. They’ll face a similar question on third baseman/second baseman Nolan Gorman, who has been better than Walker but a league average hitter overall.
St. Louis also has an increasingly crowded corner outfield. Lars Nootbaar remains a solid everyday left fielder. Alec Burleson, who is currently sidelined by a wrist issue, has a career-best .286/.337/.451 slash. Brown raved about Burleson’s improved approach. Iván Herrera has been one of the team’s top hitters. The Cardinals haven’t played him at catcher in two months, pushing him mostly to designated hitter with occasional left field work. That probably points to Walker beginning next season in Triple-A (if everyone’s healthy out of camp) unless the Cardinals trade someone over the offseason.
Image courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images.
Some guys want it. Others are content. Walker had better start wanting it or he is not going to see 10 years and a pension.
Sometimes he’s at the plate and he acts like he doesn’t even have a pulse
I have noticed since the first day watching him play: he barely looks conscious out there. There’s no hustle, the focus looks to be non-existent. He looks lost. Not saying he IS that way, just looks like it. Numbers seem to suggest that may be the case.
No and no trade value neither.
He is the classic change of scenery guy. He’ll likely never live up to his promise in St Louis just because the expectations were too high. Swapping him for another change of scenery guy makes sense. I am not sure of their commitment to Contreras, but Michael Toglia of the Rockies makes sense if they are looking for power.at first with the hopes they can fix his strikeouts. For the Rockies, he could go into the mix with everyone else and hopefully a few guys emerge as guys to build around.
I get more Cleveland/Padres (possibly Orioles) vibes from him. Can’t explain why.
CLE already has Walker and his name is Jhonkensy Noel – lots of power potential, but he doesn’t have a natural position and his results are very inconsistent. Guards struggle to produce hitters in their system, and they definitely have no idea how to fix them.
Do not compare Big Christmas to Jordan Walker just because of their builds
The orioles have more young bats than they know what to do with. They are literally the least likely trade partner in baseball for Walker.
Walker’s comments on what Marmol said tells me that he doesn’t trust the coaching staff or he’s not that coachable, but would def need a change of scenery. Who knows, maybe he can still be something, but it doesn’t seem like the Cards can bring it out of him
What did Walker say that was in any way indicative of a lack of trust??
I see a clear like of urgency on his part but nothing that indicates a lack of trust. He absolutely should be showing much more urgency. He has a dream job making almost $1M this season and many players working their a@$es off in hopes of one day playing. MLB is a billion dollar industry and teams arent going to have patience for players who dont feel improving their play is all that urgent.
Seems to me a lack of work ethic on his part based off what he said.
That seems more of a reasonable assessment! I agree!
Yea a lack of work ethic he won’t admit to that his coaches called him out on. Hence “lack of trust”
You blame a person not admitting to a lacknof work ethic on lack not trist?? Thats asinine, lazy people in general dont come out and tell others they are lazy…
I blame him calling out his coaches for calling him out contributing to his lack of trust in said coaches. Are you even reading?
The coaches called him out after said lack of effort. Them calling him out could not have led to something that happened in the past.
Im not saying I agree with him im saying when someone says something you don’t agree with you inherently lose trust in what that person has to say. Hes being a baby about it im not agreeing with it him at all but not agreeing with him doesnt change how he feels.
Before you were speaking in a context that his issue have stemmed from a lack of trust, not a potential for lack of trust later on.
As far as the potential for lacknof trust later, yes I agree thats possible. Im sure that was weighed and they were just fed up to point it was worth risk or just had to be said.
I do think its unprofessional, immature, selfish, and lazy the lack of a sense of urgency he has.
You’re living in a fantasy world if you honestly believe anyone is trading anything remotely valuable for Toglia. Delusional
You’re living in a fantasy world if you honestly believe Jordan Walker is remotely valuable.
Jordan Walker is 23 years old and was a 1st-round pick. He has the talent. Will he figure it out is still TBD…
Michael Toglia was also a first round pick exactly one year before Walker.
I do believe that Walker still has value, I was just doing a little wordplay against the other guy.
I think a trade for a change of scenery guy makes sense but the Cardinals dont need another guy who cant play defense like Toglia. Or play 1b.
Toglia is actually very good on defense at first. His main issue is strikeouts.
Maybe he’ll be next years Spencer Torkelman.
Well they are committed to Contreras at 1B, who is a much better player than Toglia and still signed for 2 more years, so that’s not happening.
It is safe to say St. Louis farm has under performed or has been overrated.
Walker, Nootbaar Gorman and Winn have all been written up as these really good players. They have been average at best with some teasing.
The Cardinals need to reboot their scouts and approach to the farm.
Winn is like a 4 WAR player this year
You’re absolutely correct. STL prospects in recent years always arrive with a truckload of fanfare followed by uneven results on the field. That tells you there’s something broken in that system, and it isn’t gonna fix itself.
Winn has TWO errors on the year and is in the mix for a possible Gold Glove, silly Goose.
I’d say he’s in the running for the Platinum Glove as well.
And nootbaar has been a good player for the cardinals too, even Nolan Gorman hit 27 homers in like 110 games 2 seasons ago
Three errors, but point taken.
He is a 2.1 WAR. He was sold as someone who would be a .270 – ..280 hitter with 15 to 20 HR and 30+ SB. Here are his career numbers:
baseball-reference.com/players/w/winnma01.shtml
This is who he is comparable too in Jose Iglesias.
baseball-reference.com/players/i/iglesjo01.shtml
The responses remind me of when I put up the similar evidence for Volpe and Yankees fans kept telling me he was Derek Jeter.
He was a 5 WAR player last year and he’s playing through an injury. Whatever WAR calculation they use in the broadcasts is saying he’s around 4 this year.
He’s not the second coming of Ozzie Smith but putting Winn in the same category as Walker is just stupid.
Fangraphs has him at 3.5
JJ Wetherholt disagrees.
We don’t know on him yet.
Winn is a good young player.
Walker is a bad young player.
Gorman and Nootbaar are mediocre not as young players but Gorman is a product of the Cleveland organization.
Gorman was drafted 1st round in 2018 by the Cards and has been with the organization since then.
huh?
I hate to blame his lack of urgency on being young and carefree, but he needs to mature rather quickly.
If I was an opposing pitcher with two outs and Walker on deck, I would have no problem intentionally walking the player at the plate to pitch to Walker.
That would motivate me to do everything possible to improve my approach.
I still believe they messed him up by trying to improve his launch angle at the plate. He is still recovering from that imo.
No
Was he ever really a part of the core? There was hope, but you can’t ask if he is still part of a core he never made it to. Then again, the Cardinals don’t have a core to build around to begin with.
Walker may have never been part of it, but they certainly do have a core with players like Winn, Burleson, Herrera, Liberatore, and McGreevy.
That’s a very underwhelming core. Winn is fine for what he is, but you wish the bat was better. I really like Burleson, especially if he had a legit bat or two better than his in the line up. McGreevy is Pallante 2.0. His ceiling is a 4th starter. I suppose if your definition of core is players who will be in the line up for the next 3 years, ok. My definition of core is the feared players on your team and the cardinals don’t have any of those.
McGreevy has done a good job as a rookie and could easily have a ceiling as high as a #2 starter or possibly better for all we know at this point.
Meanwhile, Burleson and Herrera DO have feared bats that should develop even further. Winn may never be more than a league average hitter, but that’s all he needs to be with his spectacular defense at shortstop. It wouldn’t surprise me to see any of them as All-Stars in the years to come (and not just as a pity pick because every team needs an All-Star each year).
“You killed it in the minors. Let’s change your swing”
Oh, and your position, too, because 3B is now taken for the next five years.
Was such a stupid thing to do. Guy was a probable 15 homer, 35 double, 275 average hitter. Nope he needs more homers, so now he’s garbage. I feel like that kind of derailed carpenters career as well
Basically Marmol and the hitting coach are telling Jordan he needs to get it together and soon.
I loved the pic to go with the article title!
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Walker needs to follow Jo Adell and spend the winter at driveline. The Cardinals thought Dylan Carlson was a “core piece” and now he’s batting 9th for the Orioles
Trade Walker to the Angels for Adell
Yeah the Cardinals would love that.
Adell is who this was reminding me of as I was reading it. Interesting.
Finally a Jo Adell trade rumor! Those have really dried up.
Oli Marmol criticizing another person about their job performance seems funny to me.
How so when Marmol has been a perfectly fine manager? Especially this year he’s made mostly the right moves regarding lineup construction and bullpen use given the talent or lack thereof he has had available at different points this year.
Perhaps there is talent on the Cardinals, which makes you think it’s him, not the players.
I know Walker is frustrated, but when the two guys accountable for player performance are publicly calling you out for not working hard enough, it’s a big deal.
Really want things to work out for the kid. Sad.
Walker looks like a zombie at the plate. He doesn’t even hardly use his lower body when he swings. I think he has an issue between his ears also. He looks lethargic, he does have a zip to him, does he have a facial expression one way or the other. You tell me?
I’m happy to let him be traded release him do whatever they want to do and I wish him the best. We’ve wasted too much time on the.
Stay tuned for that final word. jk
“Lars footboard remains a solid everyday left fielder”. What does 500 PA get ya? 15hrs/45rbi’s 102 ops+. Pham can do that.
Lars Footboard sounds like a Heavy Metal drummer, or maybe a Swedish racecar driver…
Pham can’t do that while playing above average defense like Nootbaar. And Noot’s been a better hitter than that before this year. Basically, he’s a league average corner OF with potential to be a bit more than that based on his StatCast data. It’s not like we have average corner outfielders growing on trees at the moment.
Nootbaar does not play above average defense.
As a corner outfielder, Nootbar is an above average fielder.
He’s been worth +9 Outs Above Average in corner outfield spots for his career. That is, by definition, above average.
Thank goodness it’s not Mo’s call, regardless.
I feel like he has been mishandled from the very beginning…
I would be the first to admit that the Cardinals handling of Jordan Walker has been terrible. If you were to tell me that as a result of that Walker no longer trusts the Cardinals coaches, I would easily believe it. But something has to give.
Burly, Herrera, Gorman, and even to some degree Victor Scott have taken positive steps forward under Brant Brown. You could even argue that Pedro Pages has made strides in the second half. This year’s team has had a better approach and had more balanced contributions up and down the lineup compared to teams of the last few years. The overall results may not be overwhelming, but neither is the overall talent level.
Walker has nothing to show for all the “runway” he’s been given. The comments coming from Marmol and Brown are concerning but not surprising. Anybody watching can see that Walker is overmatched and not only overmatched, but clueless as to how to fix it. He makes the same mistakes at the plate over and over and over. Anything spinning on the outside he will chase and anything hard on the inside he will watch go by for a strike. He can point to a “hot streak” all he wants, but in the end the same thing happened. The league made an adjustment and he has no answer.
It’s time to toss the Jordan Walker saga on the pile of Mo’s Greatest Failures and move on. It’s the best move for everyone involved.
Not sure how it’s Mozeliak’s fault that Walker has sucked. It was the DeWitts who insisted on him playing in the big leagues a year too early in 2023,
Perhaps trade him for Jared Kelenic. Walker seems to want to coast on natural talent without studying the pitching he’ll be facing. The hard work of film/game prep might really help him realize his potential.
It’s definitely been tough for Jordan Walker, and it was good to hear from management and Walker himself. When Jordan was hitting well, he was playing 3B. He’s below average in the OF defensively.
Maybe, just maybe, a switch back to a more comfortable position at 3B would help him relax and improve at the plate as well. He has the talent to be productive at the MLB level and is still young enough to figure it out if he follows his coaches’ advice and puts on the work! Hopefully, he’ll re-dedicate himself to succeed sooner rather later!
I have been hoping that Walker would readjust and develop his hitting but I don’t think it will happen. I have never seen him play third base so I don’t know if that would help him mentally. I just don’t know if he has the agility to play that position at 6 foot 6.
How about Walker for Marco Luciano? Luciano is another former highly rated prospect who hasn’t lived up to expectations.
Jordan Walker needs to be stop thinking he is untouchable. GROW UP KI
D
When things start getting aired out in the media it usually ends with the player somewhere else. Time for a change of scenery for the kid. These talks should have happened behind closed doors. Poor work by management calling him out publicly, and poor response on the player responding publicly.
I agree that it’s not ideal to have these things play out in the media, but if you read more of Brown’s comments it gives the impression that these talks HAVE happened behind closed doors and Walker isn’t listening.
Chaim Bloom has promised fans that there will be greater transparency to the organization. I think that’s what these comments reflect. Fans want to know what is happening with Walker’s development, why is taking so long, and what is the plan going forward. Marmol and Brown simply answered the fans questions. Walker is only 23, but he is a professional athlete and therefore a public figure. He needs to be able to accept some public criticism if he isn’t getting the job done.
Airing out the dirty laundry may be what gets Walker moving in the right direction. And if it’s true that his effort is sub-par, then it gives the team some cover if they move on from him.
It’s really unfortunate that Walker’s lack of ability to drive the ball got to the point that he was called up. Never should have happened.
With his power, speed, and arm, he should have been held back until he stopped pounding the ball on the ground and learned to hit off-speed pitching.
As we’ve seen, the book on Walker is easy: don’t throw him fastballs and he’ll dribble grounders or strike out.
He’s always had these huge holes in his swing, but our lack of player development apparently didn’t address it the right way and started all this mess.
Shouldn’t have played out this way.
I figured this guy could be the next frank thomas based on how big he is and his lofty prospect status instead is he just another average ham n egger who’ll flame out in a few years?
Nope. He’s what we call “a bust”.
Nope. He might still be salvageable somewhere else. Get what you can for him and move on.
Oh, and admit you royally messed up his development with the first demotion to AAA
MOZELIAK SUCKS.
He has 0 trade value and 1 option year still. Just park him at AAA next year and let him sink or swim. At that point, they’ll probably be able to get him through waivers and off the 40 man if he fails to really break through and then they can still retain his rights. Dude is young AF and loads of highly touted prospects don’t establish themselves until age 25-26.
Walker probably got where he is (i.e. MLB player) relying on his natural abilities. Yep, nice to have those abilities but if you don’t work on your craft MLB pitchers will carve you up like a pumpkin on Halloween.
Walker has had three bad years in a row after his impressive debut. You would think a light would go on and he’d realize changes with his work ethic are necessary.
The manager and hitting coach have all but said, “He’s not doing the work.”. Walker is still young so some team will take a shot on him if Chaim chooses to trade him. Won’t get much in return.
Cards should trade him to Pittsburgh. Maybe spending time around a solid pro like Andrew McCutchen will rub off on him.
I thought about a deal to Pittsburgh myself. Nick Yorke for Walker. I believe Yorke was Bloom first draft pick in Boston.
He is a total bust. Weak bat.
Face the truth. No one in the outfield mix in STL is anything special. Most are not nor ever will be league average or better at any of the OF positions.
Noot is already above average in the corners. Donovan would fit that description in LF. Herrera playing LF would solve that too.
He never was. 90 wRC+ for his career and -2.20 WPA suggests so. Cards should see if they can get a box of used balls or an opened box of crackerjacks for him.
Carlson, Gorman, Walker—and a multitude of high draft picks in the past ten years—all have the same variable in common: an organization who is either poor at evaluating talent or poor at developing that talent—or both.
This is an organizational issue. Until the front office, manager, hitting coach, scouts, and everyone else acknowledge their own ineptitude this cycle of poor results will continue. It’s time to point the finger where it really belongs instead of blaming it on a player’s sense of urgency or preparation.
Prospects fail the vast majority of the time. They’ve also developed Herrera, Donovan, and Winn over that time. Gorman is still young AF and already has a 2+ WAR season under his belt and is hitting above league average this year with improved pitch selection and like a 13% BB rate. He should be the starting 3B next year and let Nado rot on the bench.
Walker showed promise at first , but pitchers learned he would chase , he never looks comfortable in the outfield, and does not show hustle after fly balls, or down the line all the time , seems like he assumes the fielder will make the play. DUMP HIM, Bring up Wetherholt , or someone who will appreciate the opportunity he has and put the effort in thats needed
Bottom line, it’s difficult being a successful major league hitter if you’re stubborn and lazy.
He should be but hes not. Both sides are guilty here.
He is still a “ core” just a rotten one
They never should’ve moved him off 3B. That position change coupled with skipping AAA completely derailed his career.
He was never going to stick at 3B. Has nothing to do with his failures. He’s also been back to AAA since skipping it and managed like a 89 WRC+ there. They definitely screwed up his timeline bringing him up to MLB to only learn a new position on the fly and burning all his option years in the process. His offensive failings so far are 90% on him though.
He never should have played anywhere but right field in the minors. He was always a below average third baseman. Not moving him until he reached the majors was stupid.
He wasn’t just viewed as an impact bat when he came up, he was a consensus top 5 prospect.
He never really even dominated in the minors before being called up to MLB at any level. That ranking was wildly overstated.
Mets just tossed aside the lightweight version of Jordan Walker, Alex Ramirez.
Got some prospect hype, especially from Keith Law. Looked terrible in Spring Training twice. Stats in the minors sucked. He’s gone.
Time to move on from Walker, send him down and bring up JJ Wetherholt , someone who will appreciate the chance to play, instead of Walker who seems like he is entitled to play.