STL Cardinals: 4 bold predictions for 2023 Opening Day
By Kevin Henry
St. Louis Cardinals bold prediction: Jordan Walker will live up to the hype
The Cardinals may soon have a dilemma in the outfield with plenty of options to fill a limited number of spots in the lineup. Adding to that dilemma is the top prospect for the Cardinals (and the fourth-ranked prospect in all of MLB), 20-year-old Jordan Walker.
Walker has progressed to Double-A Springfield so far in his MiLB journey, but flashed his skills in the Arizona Fall League, slashing .286/.367/.558 with five homers and 16 RBI. It was enough of a tease for Cardinals fans to know that the future is coming to Busch Stadium soon.
It will, however, take some time this season. Walker has zero Triple-A at-bats to his credit and “he’s still a work in progress out there with his reads and routes,” MLB.com reports about his outfield skills, so there’s no reason for the Cardinals to rush him to St. Louis when they still have to see if Tyler O’Neill can rebound from a difficult 2022 and players like Lars Nootbaar, Juan Yepez, and Dylan Carlson can contribute in big ways.
However, if Walker shows he can hit Triple-A pitching (which there is nothing to indicate he won’t) and the Cardinals need some offensive pop in the outfield, Walker will not only get the call, but he will start what will be a long and successful MLB career.