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Roundtable Sports' John Denton discusses the incredible defensive strides made in 2026 by Cardinals' right fielder Jordan Walker.
While Jordan Walker has garnered loads of attention with his dynamic improvements at the plate, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound right fielder has also made major strides defensively as well.
Walker, who turned 24 years old last Friday, showed off his defensive improvements again on Monday in the Cardinals 5-1 loss to the National League Central-leading Brewers.
According to Statcast, Walker snagged Luis Rengifo’s fly out at 298 feet away from home plate. That didn’t stop Walker from firing a strike to the plate to erase a tagging Christian Yelich for his second double play of the season.
In 50 games, Walker already has five outfield assists, tying him with Red Sox right fielder Jarren Duran and Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages for first in MLB.
Walker’s career high for outfield assists is eight – six of which came from right field – during his rookie season of 2023.
Walker has half of the Cardinals’ 10 outfield assists in 2026. That number is tied for the third most in baseball with the rival Brewers. Only the Red Sox (14) and Royals (11) have more outfield assists in 2026.
Walker has also shown major improvements in his overall defense. Statistically speaking, he was one of MLB’s worst defenders from 2023-25, ending up with Defensive Runs Saved rankings of negative-16 (2023), negative-4 (2024) and negative-11 (2025). This season, however, Walker’s DFS ranking is at plus-5. That ranking is good for fifth among all right fielders and 11th among all MLB outfielders.
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom recently discussed Walker’s incredible transformation and growth as a player in 2026 and noted that he loves seeing the outfielder having fun and smiling again following a rocky three-year stretch to start his career.
Chaim Bloom has been impressed with the offensive and defensive strides made this season by Jordan Walker. -- Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
“Knowing what he’s been through and the work that he’s put in, I’m just happy for him to get to see the payoff he’s been able to get,” Bloom told Roundtable Sports. “I think the coolest thing about this is that he got to this point by keeping his head down and staying focused on finding the right way to work so that his talent could play. And now, even as he’s made these improvements, he’s still keeping his head down.
“There’s even been some ups and downs in this start, but he’s stayed focused on feeling what he needs to feel to be at his best. Baseball is a game of streaks and slumps, and so much of it is being able to get back to baseline. The more this (strong play) goes on, the more you see him being able to hone in his game and feel it. And when you know how much he cares and puts into it, it’s really cool to see him enjoying the fruits of his labor.”
Of course, Walker’s growth at the plate has turned him into a surprise contender for the National League’s Most Valuable Player award. In the NL, he ranks second in homers (15), second in slugging (.585), second in OPS (.952), tied for fourth in RBI (42), tied for fifth in hits (58) and tied for fifth in runs (37). Also, he’s 11th in the NL in batting average (.297), 14th in on base percentage (.367) and tied for 21st in doubles (11).
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!
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While Jordan Walker has garnered loads of attention with his dynamic improvements at the plate, the 6-foot-6, 250-pound right fielder has also made major strides defensively as well.
Walker, who turned 24 years old last Friday, showed off his defensive improvements again on Monday in the Cardinals 5-1 loss to the National League Central-leading Brewers.
According to Statcast, Walker snagged Luis Rengifo’s fly out at 298 feet away from home plate. That didn’t stop Walker from firing a strike to the plate to erase a tagging Christian Yelich for his second double play of the season.
In 50 games, Walker already has five outfield assists, tying him with Red Sox right fielder Jarren Duran and Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages for first in MLB.
Walker’s career high for outfield assists is eight – six of which came from right field – during his rookie season of 2023.
Walker has half of the Cardinals’ 10 outfield assists in 2026. That number is tied for the third most in baseball with the rival Brewers. Only the Red Sox (14) and Royals (11) have more outfield assists in 2026.
Walker has also shown major improvements in his overall defense. Statistically speaking, he was one of MLB’s worst defenders from 2023-25, ending up with Defensive Runs Saved rankings of negative-16 (2023), negative-4 (2024) and negative-11 (2025). This season, however, Walker’s DFS ranking is at plus-5. That ranking is good for fifth among all right fielders and 11th among all MLB outfielders.
High praise for Walker from Chaim Bloom
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom recently discussed Walker’s incredible transformation and growth as a player in 2026 and noted that he loves seeing the outfielder having fun and smiling again following a rocky three-year stretch to start his career.
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Chaim Bloom has been impressed with the offensive and defensive strides made this season by Jordan Walker. -- Winslow Townson-Imagn Images
“Knowing what he’s been through and the work that he’s put in, I’m just happy for him to get to see the payoff he’s been able to get,” Bloom told Roundtable Sports. “I think the coolest thing about this is that he got to this point by keeping his head down and staying focused on finding the right way to work so that his talent could play. And now, even as he’s made these improvements, he’s still keeping his head down.
“There’s even been some ups and downs in this start, but he’s stayed focused on feeling what he needs to feel to be at his best. Baseball is a game of streaks and slumps, and so much of it is being able to get back to baseline. The more this (strong play) goes on, the more you see him being able to hone in his game and feel it. And when you know how much he cares and puts into it, it’s really cool to see him enjoying the fruits of his labor.”
Of course, Walker’s growth at the plate has turned him into a surprise contender for the National League’s Most Valuable Player award. In the NL, he ranks second in homers (15), second in slugging (.585), second in OPS (.952), tied for fourth in RBI (42), tied for fifth in hits (58) and tied for fifth in runs (37). Also, he’s 11th in the NL in batting average (.297), 14th in on base percentage (.367) and tied for 21st in doubles (11).
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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...
