This season was supposed to be about Jordan Walker’s resurgence after a lackluster 2024 season. His debut season in 2023 provided a glimmer of hope and optimism within the St. Louis Cardinals organization.
Reality was a smack in the face when he regressed, so much so that he spent time in the Triple-A affiliate Memphis Redbirds. Things haven’t been much better this year. But is it fair to throw the towel in on Walker already?
After all, Walker is just 22 years old and while his rookie season feels more like an anomaly than the standard, he could still become the player — or close to the player — he was hyped up to be just two seasons ago. Sure, 10 hits in his last 59 plate appearances isn’t great, but those are more "slump" numbers than "bad player" numbers.
The Cardinals are right to think maybe the window for Walker to be a future franchise cornerstone is closing, but giving up on him now could be worse than waiting to see if this is a slump and not a pattern.
St. Louis might be growing impatient with Jordan Walker as early-season slump creeps toward frustrating pattern
There’s a potential reality we have to start considering when it comes to Walker — what if his rookie season was a misnomer? It could very well be accurate that Walker might not be the player he was supposed to be.
The Cardinals have to decide how much longer they will be patient with Walker’s development. They’ve dedicated the last few seasons to trying to turn things around from an aging roster to a youthful one. Walker was the de facto face of this rebuild, but he’s essentially become a non-factor for the Cardinals. If he doesn’t become the player the Cardinals hoped for, the team will be in an even bigger talent hole.
Sure, a team can move past taking the gamble on the wrong player, it just complicates things by tanking Walker's trade value and making the franchise figure out what to do with him and who to replace him with.
Not ideal, but that fate isn't stamped for the Cards yet. There isn't much reason to give up on him now — patience with Walker is the only way forward, and has the highest potential for success in the long run.