What Cardinals fans are most excited about with Jordan Walker’s debut

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Cardinals hadn’t even taken the field yet on Opening Day and Mary Holland already wasn’t happy.

“How could they not have any Jordan Walker jerseys?” It was a question she mumbled as she and her son dug through the souvenir shop on the upper level behind home plate.

Like so many St. Louis Cardinals fans, Holland was simply trying to catch a piece of the Jordan Walker phenomenon as it enveloped Busch Stadium before the Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays opened the 2023 season on Thursday.

“I get he is new, but they have Willson Contreras jerseys here,” she said.

Well, Contreras was signed way back in the offseason away from the Chicago Cubs. Walker, meanwhile, is a 20-year-old rookie who didn’t even know he was making the squad (or what his number might be) until just a few days ago. Apparently it’s hard to print a jersey that quickly, even if the excitement level is at a fever pitch to see what Walker can do at the major League level.

“He’s going to be awesome,” Holland said. “That’s why we were trying to get one of his jerseys first.”

St. Louis Cardinals fans abuzz at Busch Stadium over Jordan Walker debut

Brett Hunter of East Alton, Ill., approached Opening Day as the start of a new chapter for the Cardinals. With Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols retired and on their way to Cooperstown, Hunter said that a fresh face in Walker was a good thing to see.

“With two veterans just leaving, I’m excited to get some young blood on the team,” Hunter said. “I think it’s going to be a tough year. With Molina gone, he was such an institution and such a staple, not just in his abilities as a player but his abilities to bring the team together.

“I think with Walker, we definitely have a top five defense.”

It’s a tall task for Walker to not only make his MLB debut, but also live up to the hype surrounding the Cardinals season after season. This is a franchise that expects to go to the postseason every year, and fans are already counting on Walker being a key piece of that.

“We’re going to have to have patience with the kid, because he is just a kid,” Rick Stevens of St. Louis told me. “But from what I’ve read about the kid, he has all of the talent to make a difference. I was hoping he would be in the Opening Day lineup and I’m thrilled he is.”

And is he thrilled more for Jordan’s bat skills or what he brings in the field?

“All of it,” Stevens smiled. “Prospects always bring hope, even for a stacked team like St. Louis.”

There is plenty of pressure on Opening Day for Walker as he bats eighth and takes his spot in right field. While St. Louis fans will enjoy the pomp and circumstance (and Clydesdales) of Opening Day, for many, it’s also about Day 1 of the Jordan Walker era in the Gateway City.