Jordan Walker's time with the St. Louis Cardinals may be running its course. He's fared well at the Minor League level since the club spent a first-round pick on him in 2020. However, his skill set hasn't translated whatsoever to the Majors, and things have reached a point where Redbird Nation is wondering if it ever will.
Just two years ago, Walker was St. Louis' top prospect and MLB Pipeline's No. 4-ranked player. Now, he's stuck in a part-time role; life comes at you fast. And if Jonathan Mayo of MLB.com's way-too-early 2026 mock draft is any indication, the once-promising outfielder will officially be yesterday's news this time next summer.
Mayo projects the Cardinals to choose Missouri State outfielder Caden Bogenpohl with the No. 17 overall selection next July. It's a clear sign of president of baseball operations in waiting, Chaim Bloom, and the front office waving the white flag on the Walker experiment. The latter simply hasn't lived up to his lofty pedigree, and St. Louis could be ready to cut its losses.
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Way-too-early 2026 MLB mock draft spells trouble for Jordan Walker's time with Cardinals
Bogenpohl "provides some of the loudest contact and highest exit velocities in the class," Mayo wrote. His pop "comes with some swing-and-miss concerns [25.8 percent K rate over two seasons at Missouri State]." Mayo compared him to the Cleveland Guardians' 2025 first-rounder, Jace LaViolette.
Frankly, Bogenpohl's profile sounds similar to Walker, a powerful batter who can also hit for contact. However, a natural ability at the plate will get them into trouble with a propensity to chase pitches outside the zone. Moreover, they're both 6-foot-6 but plus athletes who move well for their size.
While Walker didn't pan out, perhaps a facsimile of him will. At least that's what Mayo's extremely premature forecast suggests might be the mindset in St Louis. A lot can change over the next calendar year, though the 23-year-old is ostensibly running out of time to prove himself with the Cards. Nonetheless, many of this year's newcomers aren't under contract yet, so let's not get ahead of ourselves.
Walker is slashing .245/.306/.393 with 24 home runs, 94 RBI and a below-average .699 OPS across three campaigns and 760 at-bats with the Cardinals. Those numbers are a far cry from his .286/.364/.481 splits with 48 homers, 178 RBI and a strong .845 OPS in 1,295 Minor League at-bats.