Between a Home Run Derby victory and the first positive bWAR season of his career, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker has certainly enjoyed an unforgettable 2026 campaign already.
The 24-year-old Walker was teetering on bust territory after an incredibly underwhelming first three years in the Majors, though he’s finally broken through and emerged as the viable middle-of-the-order bat the team always envisioned. A first-time All-Star selection earlier this summer, he’s validated the Cardinals’ continued faith in a massive way.
Tuesday night’s two-run homer against the Dodgers brought Walker to 28 dingers and 99 RBI, and also put him the verge of history. Major League Baseball’s Sarah Langs shared on X/Twitter that Walker has now hit 55 home runs off 55 different pitchers, the second-longest streak in MLB history.
San Francisco Giants shortstop Willy Adames holds the current record of 57, meaning Walker could easily surpass him within the coming weeks.
Jordan Walker has completely changed how he factors into the St. Louis Cardinals’ plans
Suggesting that Walker has turned his career around is the understatement of the year. He’s already provided the Cardinals with 4.2 bWAR, which is impressive on its own. That’s a solid year, and only 29 players league-wide have even cleared 4.0 bWAR at the moment.
However, keep in mind Walker was worth -2.6 bWAR in his first 279 games. Few would have blamed the Cardinals had they opted to trade Walker this past offseason or have him start the new year at Triple-A. We’d have even understood him going all the way down to Double-A.
The Cardinals still find themselves in an intriguing situation because they’re not necessarily amid a full rebuild, but they’re also not built to contend for a playoff spot next year. Fans might not want to hear that, seeing as St. Louis is 69-70 and only four games back in the NL Wild Card race. However, the reality is that they’ve not only failed to develop reliable starting pitchers, but they also need to compete with the Brewers and Cubs in the NL Central.
And given how bad Walker was in his first three seasons, we’re hesitant to believe he’ll replicate this production moving forward. That’s not to say that he can’t be a competent starting outfielder, and his vastly improved strikeout rate is encouraging. But he has a long way to go before we invest in his stock.
Had he not found his power stroke, we’re not sure the Cardinals would even have Walker in their 2027 lineup. Instead, he’s positioned himself to earn a team-friendly contract extension this winter, and we suggest he take the Cardinals up on a potential offer. Cashing in after setting so many career bests is always the route to take.
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