Jordan Walker proves John Mozeliak right with monster day vs. Yankees

John Mozeliak isn't going to get much credit from me for his team building and handling of the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024. But I'll throw him this nugget: He was right about Jordan Walker.

The struggled to figure out Jordan Walker's place in their 2024 plans, mismanaging him along the way. He was sent down to the minors before being called back up in a platoon role in August. He lasted all of 11 at-bats before that experiment ended.

Effectively waiving the white flag on the season recently allowed the Cardinals to do what Mozeliak had wanted for Walker all along: Bring him back up in an everyday role to see what he's got.

And wouldn't you know it, Walker came through on Sunday.

For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on, subscribe to, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop between now and the MLB offseason.

Jordan Walker's five-hit day proved John Mozeliak right about platoon plan

After a couple games with one hit in eight at-bats, Walker went wild against the Yankees. He was 5-of-5 with a home run and 4 RBI. He a couple two stolen bases for good measure.

Walker's yo-yoing between the majors and minors was because of his poor performance early in the season. If the Cardinals had been getting this level of performance all season, they could have avoided some drama.

What this outing does show is Walker's immense potential and the care St. Louis should take with him.

Sending him down in the first place made sense. He's a young player who needed a bit of a reset. Bringing him back up to platoon him didn't make any sense. The clear disconnect between Mozeliak and manager Oli Marmol was a worry then.

“My philosophy is has always been if you’re a young player, you need to play. I always cringe at the idea of someone who’s 22 years old sitting on the bench," Mozeliak said when Walker's platoon experiment ended.

The good news is, everyone seems to be on the same page now. The results reflect that.

Walker's future in St. Louis is still up in the air. At least now he's going to get a run of games to prove himself.