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A symbol of perseverance and resilience following three trying MLB seasons, Jordan Walker has finally become the MLB All-Star player the Cardinals thought he could become when he first broke in the big leagues as a precocious 20-year-old in 2023.
Walker, 23, was named to his first MLB All-Star Game as a National League reserve on Saturday night. Walker, the National League’s RBI leader with 63, was the only player selected from the 46-39 Cardinals to be selected to play in the Midsummer Classic on July 14 at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.
Walker said earlier this season that he never stop believing that he has greatness within him, but he was certainly challenged by the hardships he endured over his first three MLB seasons.
“I had to pretty much just not lose confidence in myself and that’s where being with my teammates every day, kind of helped me keep the confidence,” Walker said. “For me, it was just about keeping going. I knew I had the skillset to be great, but to ever do anything, you have to from the work in the cage and let it show in the game.”
First baseman Alec Burleson, who ranks second in the NL in RBI with 62, was passed over for the game, but could be a candidate as an injury replacement.
Andre Pallante, the Cardinals first 10-game winner before the MLB All-Star Game in eight years, was not chosen to be a part of a dazzling NL pitching staff that includes Dodgers’ ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez and Atlanta’s Chris Sale.
Riley O’Brien, who has anchored the Cardinals bullpen all season and ranked tied for third in MLB in saves with 21, was also not chosen to pitch in the MLB All-Star Game.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Walker, who is tied for seventh in the National League in home runs with 19, is considering participating in the MLB Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game. The 19 home runs he has hit in 83 games are already a career high, topping the 16 he drilled as a rookie in 2023.
Walker, a first-round pick by the Cardinals in 2020, was seemingly destined for stardom as he rose throughout the organization’s system and was at one time considered to be MLB’s top prospect.
He reached the big leagues with a stellar Spring Training in 2023 and hit safely in the first 12 games of his MLB career – the youngest player in MLB history to do so.
However, Walker encountered tough times soon afterwards and spent extended stretches in the Minor Leagues in each of his first three MLB seasons. He played just 51 games, hitting only .201 with just five homers, for the Cardinals in 2024. In 2025, his star potential seemed to dim even more when he hit just .215 with six homers while also striking out 126 times.
This season, however, things finally started to click at the plate for Walker, who has suddenly become one of the game’s most feared power hitters. Subtle changes made to his swing while working with Cards hitting coach Brant Brown and assistants Brandon Allen and Casey Chenoweth translated into major differences for MLB’s hardest-swinging slugger.
“I think I still am (stubborn) when it comes to trying not to stray too far away from what I’ve always done and keeping things simple,” Walker said. “I think I work best when we keep things simple, and I've had a lot of conversations, and now we're seeing eye to eye on that.
“But I think that that's really what it is – keeping things simple. Earlier on in my career, I definitely wanted to drive the ball, but it wasn't happening all the time. But I thought (2025) was a good season to build off on. I was definitely a little stubborn back then, and I feel like our conversations (with hitting coaches) have gotten better over time.”
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Walker, 23, was named to his first MLB All-Star Game as a National League reserve on Saturday night. Walker, the National League’s RBI leader with 63, was the only player selected from the 46-39 Cardinals to be selected to play in the Midsummer Classic on July 14 at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park.
Walker said earlier this season that he never stop believing that he has greatness within him, but he was certainly challenged by the hardships he endured over his first three MLB seasons.
“I had to pretty much just not lose confidence in myself and that’s where being with my teammates every day, kind of helped me keep the confidence,” Walker said. “For me, it was just about keeping going. I knew I had the skillset to be great, but to ever do anything, you have to from the work in the cage and let it show in the game.”
First baseman Alec Burleson, who ranks second in the NL in RBI with 62, was passed over for the game, but could be a candidate as an injury replacement.
Andre Pallante, the Cardinals first 10-game winner before the MLB All-Star Game in eight years, was not chosen to be a part of a dazzling NL pitching staff that includes Dodgers’ ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Milwaukee’s Jacob Misiorowski, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes, Philadelphia’s Cristopher Sanchez and Atlanta’s Chris Sale.
Riley O’Brien, who has anchored the Cardinals bullpen all season and ranked tied for third in MLB in saves with 21, was also not chosen to pitch in the MLB All-Star Game.
The 6-foot-6, 250-pound Walker, who is tied for seventh in the National League in home runs with 19, is considering participating in the MLB Home Run Derby at the All-Star Game. The 19 home runs he has hit in 83 games are already a career high, topping the 16 he drilled as a rookie in 2023.
Walker seemingly destined for greatness for years
Walker, a first-round pick by the Cardinals in 2020, was seemingly destined for stardom as he rose throughout the organization’s system and was at one time considered to be MLB’s top prospect.
He reached the big leagues with a stellar Spring Training in 2023 and hit safely in the first 12 games of his MLB career – the youngest player in MLB history to do so.
However, Walker encountered tough times soon afterwards and spent extended stretches in the Minor Leagues in each of his first three MLB seasons. He played just 51 games, hitting only .201 with just five homers, for the Cardinals in 2024. In 2025, his star potential seemed to dim even more when he hit just .215 with six homers while also striking out 126 times.
This season, however, things finally started to click at the plate for Walker, who has suddenly become one of the game’s most feared power hitters. Subtle changes made to his swing while working with Cards hitting coach Brant Brown and assistants Brandon Allen and Casey Chenoweth translated into major differences for MLB’s hardest-swinging slugger.
“I think I still am (stubborn) when it comes to trying not to stray too far away from what I’ve always done and keeping things simple,” Walker said. “I think I work best when we keep things simple, and I've had a lot of conversations, and now we're seeing eye to eye on that.
“But I think that that's really what it is – keeping things simple. Earlier on in my career, I definitely wanted to drive the ball, but it wasn't happening all the time. But I thought (2025) was a good season to build off on. I was definitely a little stubborn back then, and I feel like our conversations (with hitting coaches) have gotten better over time.”
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Remember to join our CARDINALS on ROUNDTABLE community, which is FREE! You can post your own thoughts, in text or video form, and you can engage with our Roundtable staff, as well as other CARDINALS fans. If prompted to download the Roundtable APP, that's free too!
Continue reading...
