As guest PA announcer Michael Buffer introduced him for the finals of the T-Mobile Home Run Derby, Jordan Walker couldn’t help but grin. Buffer had barely run through the beginning of his script when the Citizens Bank Park crowd began booing. Hardly a soul in Philadelphia was rooting for Walker. Through no fault of his own, he had become the villain.

Here’s the thing though: sometimes villains win. Sometimes villains even put on a show. So it was with Walker, who overcame a cavalcade of boos to upend Kyle Schwarber, the overwhelming fan favorite, 12-11 in the finals.

“I was once told you don’t boo nobody,” Walker said on the field as he received his trophy. “So it feels pretty good.”

If anyone still considered Walker a nobody heading into the Derby, they can’t anymore. Shortly after Schwarber clubbed 11 homers to send the crowd into a frenzy, Walker found himself sitting on six with only three swings left in the finals. Under this year’s revamped format, batters who ended a round on a homer could continue swinging until they hit a ball that stayed in the park. Walker took full advantage, bashing six homers in a row -- including three in the bonus period -- to upend Schwarber. That made him the first Cardinals player to win the Derby.

“I can't even describe how it means to win it,” Walker said, voice hoarse in the moments following his victory. “It was a lot of swings, a lot of pressure, but I think I just had fun no matter what. Like, every round, I was having a good time.”

So too were the 43,863 fans packed into Citizens Bank Park, which became a cauldron as Schwarber and Bryce Harper took their turns at-bat to finish off the first round. At that point, Walker was already guaranteed a spot in the semifinals, having tied for the Derby lead with 13 first-round homers. Harper did not advance, but Schwarber did, bringing the full force of Philadelphia’s support behind him.

As Schwarber gained momentum in the second round, hitting nine home runs to defeat Willson Contreras, fans began willing him to accomplish more. Every time Contreras hit a home run, fans booed. Every time he made an out, the seating bowl erupted in cheers.
From his perch near the home dugout, Marvel-themed bat in hand and bright-red Cardinals hat resting backwards on his head, Walker took note.

“My thought was, ‘Philly is brutal,’” Walker said. “I mean, honestly. But I think it's pretty special because they love their players and that's what you want from your home … I can't hate them, because that's their guy.” (A DiComo - MLB.com - July 13, 2026)
 

Jordan WalkerThis year might not have been Jordan Walker’s last chance -- he is still only 24, after all -- but certainly it was a referendum on whether he would be a significant part of the Cardinals’ future. Consider the referendum passed. Walker leads the NL in RBIs and became the power bat the Cardinals always believed he would be -- and that the franchise desperately needed. He’s about to play in his first All-Star Game, and he has become the sort of feared slugger that other teams pitch around, which only helps all the other hitters in the lineup.

Chaim Bloom’s front office is early on in the process of rebuilding the entire organization, to make it sustainable and constantly replenishing with new talent. But what they’re really trying to do is this: Find the next Jordan Walker. They have one now.   (Will Leitch - Cardinals.com)

In 2020, Walker graduated from Decatur High School in Georgia. He had already committed to Duke Univ. He is an outstanding student.

In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Jordan was Georgia's Gatorade Player of the Year after hitting .457 with 4 home runs in 14 games.

As a junior, Walker slammed 17 homers in a full 2019 season, hitting .519 and stealing 24 bases.

Jordan's parents are very supportive and encouraging. Jordan is a hard worker, but athletically and academically.

It’s no surprise Walker was drawn to baseball as a kid. With a father and grandfather who loved the sport and an older brother who played, Walker came out of the womb with a love for the sport, his father said.

Even when he was young, Derek Walker said his son was stronger and faster than the other kids. As he grew, he started to play in competition with older boys. Even though he was among the younger players on his team, he began to stand out at 10 or 11.

His father said his talent solidified in his son’s sophomore year of high school as he continued to stand out on both his high school varsity and travel teams. His reputation started to garner attention from recruiters.

June 10, 2020: The story goes that Jordan found his power in tee ball, when he hit a ball so hard over the outfield fence that it hit his grandmother’s car. Jordan’s father, Derek, promises there’s video. The story has perhaps grown as Jordan has grown, but there’s no disputing the power that he possesses now. It’s why the Cardinals drafted him.

A third baseman out of Decatur High School in Georgia, Walker established himself as the top corner-infield prospect in the 2020 high school class and is ranked No. 33 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 200 Draft Prospects list.

“My main strength is power,” Walker said. “I’m a power hitter. I can truly be a power hitter in MLB, if I progress like I want to progress.”

In a first round that was heavy on college players, the Cardinals shifted from the trend and selected a high school hitter, even with a wealth of college pitching still available as they went on the clock. Walker, who just turned 18, is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound infielder. There’s uncertainty that comes with drafting a prep player in the first round. There’s also opportunity.

“He’s someone that we believe has a very high ceiling and type of athleticism that we feel like will fit in well with our system,” president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. “Most importantly is that he’s a high-character young man, someone that is very driven, he’s ambitious, and I think can be a great fit for the St. Louis Cardinals.”

A right-handed hitter, Walker joins Nolan Gorman in the growing group of third basemen in the Cardinals' system. Still, the Cardinals say they want to develop him at third.

“Our hope is that he stays on the dirt,” said Randy Flores, the Cardinals’ assistant GM and director of scouting. “Normally, when you have someone of his size and physicality, you’re seeing someone who maybe you’re starting to think of moving to the outfield. But I believe that his actions, his grace, his speed is reflective of athleticism that positions him for the longest chance possible to stay on the dirt [at third base].”

The slot value of pick No. 21 is $3,132,300. Walker was committed to Duke University, but the Cardinals were confident in being able to sign him. And Walker’s parents wanted to give him a chance to start his career. So he signed with scout Charles Peterson -- the last player Peterson signed before he died from Covid-19 three months later.

The college degree is still important, though. Derek went to Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Walker's mother, Katrina, earned her master’s degree in business economics from Washington University in St. Louis before earning her master’s in teaching at Emory University. Through MLB’s college scholarship program, Derek is confident his son can focus on baseball now and the degree later.

“At the end of the day, we all agreed that Jordan’s goal, his dream, is to play baseball,” Derek said. “We feel that it’s very important to him, and to us, that he gets his degree, so he will do the plan and he will do the work that he needs to do at some point down the road to go back and get that degree.

“We know he wants to play baseball, and now he’s able to chase his dream.”

Walker didn’t complete his senior season at Decatur, and he graduated high school virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. But in May he was named Georgia’s Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year after hitting .457 with four home runs in 16 games. As a junior, he hit .519 with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs.

He pulled on his Decatur baseball jersey about 30 minutes before the Draft begin. He had it on when the Cardinals called his name, and he hadn’t taken it off when he met with St. Louis reporters over Zoom later in the night.

“My coach let me keep this one, so I thought I’d wear it on Draft day, to have my cheer team with me throughout the process,” Walker said. (A Rogers - MLB.com - June 10, 2020)

In 2021, the Baseball America Prospect Handbook rated Jordan as the 6th-best prospect in the Cardinals' organization.

But Walker moved to #1 Cards' prospect in the spring of 2022. Jordan stayed at #1 in the spring in 2023.

A proven developer of pitching talent for the past 15 years, the Cardinals have not had the same success with hitters, particularly middle-order mashers. Since Albert Pujols’ debut in 2001, only the late Oscar Taveras rose to those vaulted levels as a hitter who could grow into leading a lineup.

Quietly, within the walls of Busch Stadium, they see Walker in that mold.

Walker at 6-foot-5, already has the imposing frame and athleticism similar to two recent MVPs: Kris Bryant and Cody Bellinger. Like them, he’s a corner infielder, and his feel for third base will feature him there even as the Cardinals explore whether a corner outfield spot might mean a swifter move to the majors.

The Cardinals certainly believed in the enormous potential of Walker when they selected him No. 21 overall in the 2020 MLB Draft and rewarded him with $2.9 million in bonus money to sway him from Duke University. Walker lived up to that promise in his first full season of pro ball by hitting .317 and slugging .548 while hammering 14 home runs and driving in 48 runs in 82 games between Low-A Palm Beach and High-A Peoria.

Walker, who doesn’t turn 20 until late May, remarkably did all that while saying he had very little of a plan at the plate in his first season. Whereas raw talent and power helped him become the Gatorade Player of the Year in Georgia as a high schooler, he admitted that he’s had to take more of a studious and analytical approach to hitting as he’s risen in the Cardinals' system.

“As a high school hitter, my approach to hitting wasn’t that advanced. I was sitting on one pitch and not really thinking what the pitcher might throw next or what I did on the previous swing,” Walker said. “But here, I’m learning from different people, from coaches like Jose Oquendo or players like [Nolan] Gorman or [Luken] Baker, about having a real approach at the plate. "Now, I can have an approach on how to hit a certain pitch while still being able to react to the fastball inside. I want to be ready as a hitter and open my mind, which I didn’t do in high school. So, that’s the biggest difference.”

The biggest question surrounding Walker is what position he will play by the time he reaches the big leagues. He’s been a third baseman much of his life, but some in the Cardinals organization already wonder if he might outgrow the position as his frame matures.

With that in mind, Walker worked with Oquendo throughout January and February on taking ground balls at first base and fly balls at the two corner outfield slots, and he said his focus this offseason was on trying to become more mobile. The designated hitter position, which could become universal throughout baseball, could provide another route to the Majors.

“I was a little locked up last season and I wasn’t moving as well as I wanted to,” Walker said. “Defense, I need to work on that a little more. It doesn’t come as easy to me as other things. I’m not saying hitting is easy, but it’s harder for me to do defensive work, so focusing there is what I needed to do.”

A precocious teen, Walker said he is willing to do whatever the Cardinals want if it will help him reach the big-league level. That, apparently, includes bunting drills, which he took part in recently -- even though the sight of a physically imposing bopper with 115 mph exit velocity potential induced a few snickers from teammates and coaches.

“Hey, whatever they need me to do, I’ll do,” Walker joked. “It’s just nice to have that in your back pocket.” (J Denton - MLB.com - March 8, 2022)

March 16, 2022:  Juan Yepez and Jordan Walker were named the Cardinals' 2021 Minor League Co-Players of the Year. 

Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn are almost always in sync. It should hardly be a surprise. They were drafted together and have followed similar paths through the Cardinals’ minor-league system. They are just 20 years old yet headline St. Louis’ farm system as the organization’s top two infield prospects. Walker is regarded by many as St. Louis’ No. 1 prospect. Winn isn’t far behind.

The two have been roommates since Winn was promoted to Double-A Springfield in mid-May. They share a hotel room on road trips and split a four-bedroom apartment with two other teammates when they’re in Springfield. On the diamond, Walker mans the hot corner. A few steps to his right stands Winn, a former two-way prospect who is focusing primarily on shortstop this year.

Fittingly, the two will be in tandem once more. Winn and Walker will represent the Cardinals at the 2022 All-Star Futures Game in Los Angeles as part of MLB’s All-Star week. And when they were informed by their manager, Jose Leger, and director of player development Gary LaRocque earlier in the month, neither could stop smiling.

“I had the biggest smile on my face. I wish you could have seen it,” Walker said in a phone interview with The Athletic. “I don’t know how to describe it. It was just pure happiness, pure joy.”

Walker and Winn will take their stellar play and promising futures to Los Angeles, where they’ll play among the sport’s most promising prospects. They’ll travel together to Los Angeles and take the field wearing cleats customized specifically for the game. Walker hasn’t seen the finished product — Winn took over the designs — but for a duo that is borderline inseparable, it’s a fitting final touch to an impressive first half of the season. (Woo-TheAthletic.com-July 15, 2022)

2022 Season:  Walker was named the Cardinals Minor League Player Of The Year by Baseball America.

At the trade deadline, once their swaps were all complete, the Cardinals made one more move that could be the most impactful to their future. They shifted Jordan Walker from third base to the outfield at Double-A Springfield.

With that late-season relocation, Walker’s glove is going to open a way for his bat to reach St. Louis as soon as 2023, perhaps before he turns 21 on May 22.

“Whatever it takes for me to get to the league, I’m willing to do,” Walker told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch shortly after ordering his new outfielder's glove, a Juan Soto model.

In his final game for Springfield, Walker hit his 19th home run of the season, coming one homer shy of being the affiliate’s first ever 20-20 player. He finished the Texas League season hitting .306/.388/.510 with 22 stolen bases, 58 walks and 116 strikeouts in 119 games.

He was the only player in the league to score at least 100 runs. He finished top five in slugging while also hitting 31 doubles, third-most in the league. Some of those project to become home runs as he matures, strengthens and unlocks more power from a catapult swing built for it.

The Cardinals see indicators of Walker’s rapid rise from here, such as how quickly he adapted to playing the outfield, specifically the corners. He was viewed as playable in left with an arm that fits right field. (Derrick Goold - Sept 22, 2022)

March 26, 2023: Getting Cardinals top prospect Jordan Walker to this point, where he is now on the cusp of making his MLB debut at the tender age of 20, has always been a family affair with loads of support and guidance.

So, it was only fitting that when the 6-foot-5 phenom had big news to share, he made sure his closest family members -- minus his baby sister, Maya, who was busy at college in Connecticut -- were dialed in to share in the joy together.

Walker had his father, Derek, sitting next to him in his tiny Jupiter, Fla., apartment, while mother Katrina, older brother Derek Jr., and his two grandmothers joined in on a FaceTime call. Derek, a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and Katrina, a Harvard grad with a master’s degree from Washington University in St. Louis, instilled in their son patience, smarts, maturity and togetherness while he grew up in suburban Atlanta. Those values served as guideposts throughout Jordan’s early fame and his meteoric rise through baseball’s ranks.

Simultaneously, the Walker family learned that the precocious, young Jordan had made the Cardinals’ Opening Day roster and would soon head to St. Louis to begin his MLB career. Of course, the family is heading there too, but first, a celebration was in order. 

“We had been holding our breath in the last week because the results have been less than stellar, and we didn’t know if that would affect anything,” Derek said. “We’re happy that the Cardinals felt he showed enough early on in camp when he excelled.”

“We thought back to my grandfather, Jordan’s great grandfather, Adolphus, and Jordan’s grandfather -- my father -- Joseph Wingfield,” added Derek, referring to the two men who passed down the love of baseball to a father and son. “Both of them have passed now, but we were thinking about them looking down from heaven and obviously being pretty happy. It’s an amazing feeling for all of us.”

Derek and Katrina purchased their flights to Opening Day in St. Louis months ago, riding the belief that their son had what it took to make the big leagues without ever stepping foot in Triple-A. What Walker did this spring -- smashing three home runs and five doubles and leading the Grapefruit League in hitting for much of camp -- invoked memories of a then 21-year-old slugger named Albert Pujols, who hit his way onto the Cardinals 22 years ago. The way the Walker family sees it, Jordan’s arrival at Busch Stadium isn’t ahead of schedule at all. In fact, Derek said, it’s long overdue.

“When Jordan was drafted, generally the tradition of the Cardinals is to bring their Draft picks to a game, but Jordan was drafted during COVID, so he got none of that experience,” Derek recalled. “We went up to the stadium and toured it [this past January] with no one there, and it was a ghost town. Jordan always felt like he missed out on that experience, so it will be nice to be able to recoup some of that.”

Already, the Walkers are expecting as many as 15 friends, family members and youth coaches in attendance at Busch Stadium. Many of them have been peppering Derek’s phone for weeks asking for updates about his star son. The dad admits that he will likely be watching his son’s debut “through happy tears.” He’s most in awe, however, at how many of the Cardinals’ brass have raved about the prodigy’s graceful handling of baseball’s roller coaster of emotions.

“As a dad, that makes me as proud as any of this stuff,” Derek said of Jordan weathering a mini-slump over the final two weeks of Spring Training. “Baseball is his profession, and how he’s dealing with the highs and lows is excellent, but it’s really a life lesson for him, period. How you deal with things is so important, and we’re so ecstatic that’s something that is intrinsic within him. When others see the same thing, it just makes us so happy.” (J Denton - MLB.com - March 26, 2023)

Here's a look at Walker’s background and how he became one of the most highly touted prospects in franchise history.

Why is he such a big deal? Walker is a big deal because he is, literally, BIG in every sense. Walker is so big that he almost seems out of place among other baseball players. He’s NFL tight end big or NBA small forward big. He is listed at 6-foot-5 and 250 pounds, but he has said that he is still growing. Walker also worked to add muscle and bulk, going from 230 pounds to 250 in the last year.

How old is Walker? Part of the allure to Walker is that he is just 20 years old and doesn’t turn 21 until May 22.At 20 years and 312 days, Walker will be the youngest Cardinal to make his MLB debut since pitcher Rick Ankiel (20 years, 35 days) on Aug. 23, 1999, and the youngest position player to debut with the Cards since David Green (20 years, 274 days) on Sept. 4, 1981.

Where is Walker from and how did he get here? Walker was born and raised in suburban Atlanta, and he fell in love with baseball because he had a great-grandfather, grandfather and father who loved the sport. Walker stuck with baseball, even though several football and basketball coaches begged him to try out for their sports. The Cardinals first got to know Walker at a meet-and-greet event in Atlanta in December 2019 when the he was just 17 years old. The franchise selected Walker the following year.

How will the Cardinals use him? The Cardinals drafted Walker as a third baseman, and he played there for two years before making a position switch. After seeing Walker’s potential and his chances of competing for a Major League roster spot this spring, the Cardinals moved him to the outfield this past August. Walker will likely start in right field, the spot he had more experience with in the Minor Leagues.

“Ball flight,” Walker said of the difference between left and right field. “I spent a lot more time in right field in [Double-A] Springfield, so it’s an easier read for me, but in left field, I’m getting better every day.” What is expected of Walker offensively?As the Cardinals’ top prospect, Walker came to Spring Training with all eyes on him and, somehow, he still managed to exceed expectations. Within his first 18 at-bats, he had nine hits -- five of which were home runs or doubles. He cooled off later in Spring Training, but that was bound to happen with the torrid pace he set early on.

“He’s human,” Marmol said when Walker’s production dropped and strikeout numbers jumped late in camp.

Walker considers himself more of a line-drive hitter than a slugger, and he showed that during Spring Training by repeatedly sending pitches the other way. Last season in Double-A, he hit at least .300 in every month but one.  (J Denton - MLB.com - March 29, 2023)

April 3, 2023: Their No. 18 Cardinals jerseys and the “JORDAN’S DAD” and “JORDAN’S DEAREE” nameplates across the back have made it impossible for Derek and Katrina Walker and grandmother, Normarene Merritt, to go incognito the past few days at Busch Stadium. However, the family hasn’t minded the extra attention they have gotten from fans because of all the kind things being said to them about their superstar son Jordan Walker.

The Walker family, seated not far behind home plate for the Cardinals-Braves game, had more reasons to cheer as the 20-year-old right fielder pushed his hitting streak to four games with an RBI single in the fourth inning. St. Louis lost 8-4, but Walker again showed why he is the Cardinals top prospect and already beloved by fans. After entering the game with six 100-plus-mph smashes -- trailing only Mike Trout (8), NL Player of the Week C.J. Cron (7) and Kyle Tucker (7) and tied with nine others -- Walker had a 107.7 mph lineout in his first at-bat and the fourth-inning single for his third MLB RBI.

“Thank you for bringing Jordan to us,” a Cardinals fan said to the Walker family. “We love him already.”

Those kinds of comments had the Walker family beaming with pride. The rookie is the youngest Cardinal position player to make his MLB debut since David Green (20 years, 274 days) in 1981. Already, Walker has shown a maturity beyond his years with how he has handled the hype -- both on and off the field.

“No words,” said Katrina, a Harvard graduate who got a master's degree from Washington University in St. Louis. “I’m impressed that he’s made this kind of impression on people already. He’s showing a lot of the things we hoped to instill in him, and it’s great that people are getting to see what kind of person he is.”

The subplot to the game was that Walker -- a native of Stone Mountain, Ga. -- fell in love with baseball after attending Braves games in Atlanta. His great grandfather, two grandfathers, and father all loved baseball and they passed that affinity down to Jordan, who rebuffed several offers to try out for basketball and football when younger. Jordan said prior to the game that the Braves were now “just another team,” but Derek balked at those comments. Instead, he told stories of Jordan meeting Hank Aaron and idolizing Chipper Jones, the former Braves third baseman he once hoped to succeed. 

“If you looked at Jordan’s room when he was growing up, he had all kinds of Braves paraphernalia everywhere,” Derek said. “He was a huge Chipper Jones fan. So [treating the Braves like just another team] is really saying a lot because of how big of a fan he was.”

Walker, a Double-A star last season who never played Triple-A baseball, has done exactly what the Cardinals hoped when they promoted him to the Opening Day roster following an exhilarating Spring Training. Other than a couple of missed cutoff men on throws from right field, Walker has shown himself ready by hitting .313 with three RBIs from the Nos. 7 and 8 spots in the lineup.

“He’s taken really good at-bats and he looks under control,” Cards manager Oliver Marmol said. “It doesn't look like it was his first three games in the big leagues. Offensively, he’s stood in there, and you would think he’s a [veteran] dude. He’s had a lot of balls hard hit and he’s done some stuff on the bases. We’ll continue to roll him out there.”

That’s fine with Merritt, who has become something of a mini celebrity at Busch Stadium after being repeatedly recognized as Jordan’s grandmother.  

“People are walking up and talking about Jordan,” said Merritt, who has always been known as “Dearee” to her grandchildren. “People are like, ‘Oh my gosh, can I take a picture with you?’ It’s always great when someone thinks well of your children and particularly your grandchildren. I’d like to think I instilled something into my daughter that she passed along to Jordan.”

In the coming weeks, the Walkers will hit the road and try to watch the rising star play as many games as possible. The friends-and-family section was 30 people strong on Opening Day, and Walker’s cheering section continues to grow with each of his exploits. (J Denton - MLB.om - April 4, 2023)

Jordan is enjoying lots of hits in his rookie baseball season, but lots of strikes in perhaps his next-favorite sport.

Walker told media members about his newly acquired love for the sport of bowling. During the recent All-Star break, Walker went bowling with close friends on three separate occasions.

“I really got into bowling,” said Walker. “My friend actually really got into bowling in college, so he’s been teaching me how to bowl. It was really fun.”

Walker said he ended up with a 220 in his highest game this week. “With a little more practice, I’m going to be a pro,” he said jokingly.

For Walker, bowling is another passion that helped him stay sports-minded while stepping away from baseball for a few days. (Joey Schneider, Daniel Esteve - July 15, 2023)

Sept 6, 2023:  Years earlier, when Derek and Katrina Walker would cave to the near-daily requests from their middle child, Jordan, to make the short drive from Decatur, Ga., to downtown Atlanta to see Braves games, they never could have envisioned what their eyes witnessed in this game.

Not only was Jordan out on a big league field and facing the once-beloved Braves, but the large man-child also smashed a ball a Statcast-projected 413 feet out to the same sort of seats where the family used to sit. Seemingly oblivious to the pressures that usually befall most 21-year-olds coming back home for the first time, the Cardinals' prized rookie pounded out three hits, including his third home run in as many games, and drove in two runs in St. Louis' 10-6 defeat of the Braves at Truist Park.

Sitting some 30 rows away from the Cardinals' dugout along with grandmother, Normarene, the Walkers were in awe of the fairytale that had just played out in front of them. Derek’s phone battery died mid-game from the 30 or so friends and family scattered throughout the crowd of 33,553 who repeatedly sent him pictures of his son at the plate and on the bases.

“Dearee,” as Jordan likes to call his grandmother, stood and waved a towel as the slugger rounded the bases during his home run trot, hoping to lock eyes with her superstar grandson. Repeatedly, Katrina and Derek thought about all those trips taking their son to Braves games, and now he was actually out there playing in one.

“Preschool teachers from when Jordan was 5 years old, youth coaches, former ballplayers -- they were all here for him,” Katrina said.  (J Denton - MLB.com - Sept 6, 2023)

Nov 25, 2024: In the days leading up to LifeWise STL’s April reading and math event with Cardinals slugger Jordan Walker and more than 50 area school kids, president and CEO Scott Walker wondered how intimidated and in awe the children would be upon seeing Walker in person.

Within minutes of the event starting, the 22-year-old Cards right fielder had put LifeWise STL’s leadership team – and more importantly, the school children surrounding him – at ease with his megawatt smile and warm, welcoming persona. It is a memory that Scott Walker said will always stay with him from one of LifeWise STL’s most successful events of the year.

“He is a tall young man, but he was amazing with the kids,” Scott Walker said of Jordan. “He was a natural with the kids with the way he related to them. Sometimes folks can be uncomfortable with 50 to 60 kids around them, but he got down at their level, was eye to eye with them and interacted in amazing ways. Like I said, he was a natural.”

Walker told the kids in April and again in September, when approximately 200 high-achieving scholars were awarded a night at Busch Stadium to watch Walker play, that learning and growing have been keys to his success. “Walker’s Winners,” an event designed to motivate school-aged children from pre-K through 12th grade to set long-range reading and math goals, proved to be a highly effective catalyst.  Those students read, on average, 13 books, thanks in part to the motivation provided by the program set up and orchestrated by LifeWise STL, Ready Readers, Cardinals Care and the Walker family. (J Denton - MLB.com - Nov 25, 2024)

July 4, 2026: Walker was named a National League All-Star. 

The 24-year-old phenom is slashing .290/.348/.519 and has already set a new career high with 19 home runs. 

“I don’t have to remind anybody in this room; this game is hard,” manager Oliver Marmol said to the Cardinals clubhouse. “There’s a ton of ups and downs and twists and turns in this game. So many times, we get to a point where we doubt ourselves. This is why this one’s super special. …

“This All-Star selection, J-Walk, isn’t about, in my opinion, three months of production, brother. It’s about three years of perseverance.” 

Walker was clearly teary-eyed as his teammates smiled and waited for the room to erupt. 

“This entire room has seen this dude get criticized, sent down. A ton of people doubted you becoming the player you’re becoming right now. And through that entire process, you have stayed true to yourself. That’s special.” 

Marmol would end his speech, and the room erupted with cheers for the first time All-Star. Walker isn’t the next big thing anymore; he’s on top of the St. Louis baseball world. (AJ Stone - Redbird Rants)

He also participated in and won the Home Run Derby. 

Jordan Walker made history Monday night becoming the first St. Louis Cardinals player to ever win a Home Run Derby since the event began in 1985.

Mark McGwire never won it. Albert Pujols never won it. Neither did Jack Clark, Jim Edmonds, Ray Lankford or Matt Holliday.

After 13 Cardinals appearances in MLB’s Home Run Derby, Walker finally gave the franchise its first Derby champion.

Walker capped the night by defeating Kyle Schwarber – a Philadelphia home-crowd favorite, in the finals. Walker slugged 12 home runs in the championship round, including six straight to finish the thriller.

 “I came in here trying to be easy, trying to swing as easy as I can, and everything went my way,” said Walker afterward on Netflix’s broadcast.

The win is not only historic for the Cardinals, but it also added a memorable chapter to Walker’s own career. Once regarded as one of baseball’s top prospects, Walker endured several up-and-down seasons and minor-league demotions before a big breakout 2026 season. His Derby title is another milestone in what’s quickly becoming a remarkable career comeback story.

 And that’s not all. Here’s a closer look at five fun facts around Walker’s unforgettable night.

Two of every three swings were homers
Walker didn’t just win the 2026 Home Run Derby. He was incredibly efficient in doing so.

Walker hit 13 home runs on just 20 swings in the opening round, good for homers on 65% of swings to earn the No. 2 seed entering the semifinals.

That set him up for a second-round matchup with Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, who went first and only hit five homers in 15 swings. Walker needed only six home runs to advance and reached that number in just eight swings. He finished that round 6-for-8, a remarkable 75% success rate, without even needing nearly half of his maximum 15 allowed swings.

 In the championship round, Walker homered on nine of his first 15 guaranteed swings, then caught fire during the bonus period. He kept going because he kept homering down to his final swing, a new contingency in this year’s derby format. He made the most of it, blasting three more homers and finishing the night with six consecutive home runs to secure the title.

Altogether, Walker hit 31 home runs on 46 swings. That’s an impressive 67.4% home run rate, better than two home runs for every three swings he took.

Fifth-youngest champion ever
Walker, at 24 years and 52 days old, became the fifth-youngest champion in Home Run Derby history. And he was a lot closer to the top of that unique distinction than his placing may suggest.

The five youngest winners now include:

 Juan Gonzalez: 1993 (23 years and 265 days)
Juan Soto: 2022 (23 years and 266 days)
Ruben Sierra: 1989 (23 years and 277 days)
Wally Joyner: 1986 (24 years and 28 days)
Jordan Walker: 2026 (24 years and 52 days)

With Walker defeating Caminero (23 years and 8 days) in the second round, he also denied him a chance to break Gonzalez’s for the youngest derby champion ever. History also suggests winning the derby at a young age can be a good sign. Gonzalez, Joyner and Sierra all went on for MLB careers of at least 16 seasons.

Walker doubles his season salary
Walker entered the season earning roughly the league minimum salary ($799,400) in his final year before arbitration eligibility.

Winning the Home Run Derby added another $1 million to his season earnings.

The prize money alone exceeds his entire 2026 salary, giving him a nice financial boost before what is expected to be a significant pay raise next season, whether through arbitration, a contract extension of another team-controlled agreement.

 Even without winning, the derby offered substantial rewards. Every participant received at least $150,000. Schwarber earned $500,000 as the runner-up. And Walker’s former teammate, Willson Contreras, earned $100,000 for the longest homer of the night at 490 feet.

Walker stuns the Philly crowd
Few sports environments are tougher on opponents than Philadelphia, and Walker experienced that first-hand. But it didn’t seem to bother him.

With Schwarber and Bryce Harper both representing the hometown Phillies, the crowd loudly backed its own stars throughout the evening. Nearly every other hitter, Walker included, was greeted with boos during introductions and throughout the competition.

In theory, that would make the final round – Walker vs. Schwarber – more challenging. A raucous crowd behind Schwarber in the final round, along with 11 home runs after 15 swings, was a tall task to overcome.

 But Walker stay composed, even through some early setbacks in the final round, and caught fire at just the right time. After six straight homers to end the derby, unlocking the bonus, Walker turned loud cheers for the hometown favorite Schwarber into stunned silence, then again some boos during the trophy presentation.

Walker embraced the atmosphere with one memorable quote in his post-derby interview: “I was once told you don’t boo nobodies, so it feels pretty good.”

Walker’s derby pitcher
Every Home Run Derby champion need someone delivering the perfect batting practice. For Walker, that was Cardinals bullpen coach Kleininger Teran, known among teammates as “KT.”

Teran throws batting practice regularly during the regular season and has built a strong relationship with Walker over the years. He also served as Albert Pujols’ derby pitcher during his sendoff run in 2022.

 Teran first joined the Cardinals organization in 2006 as a minor-league infielder. Although he never advanced beyond the lower levels as a player, he transitioned into coaching and player development before become the big-league club’s bullpen catcher in 2018.

Teran became an unsung hero in Walker’s derby win as a major part of it is having someone who can offer the good pitches as much as someone who can hit them.

While contestants sometimes choose their fathers to pitch, Walker’s father Derek and the rest of his family enjoyed the night from the seats. They celebrated enthusiastically after the winning home run before joining him on-field for the trophy celebration.

“He was awesome today,” said Derek on Netflix’s post-derby broadcast. “I loved everything about it. His attitude, his approach. the smoothness in his wing. He looked like his dad. He did a great job. We’re so proud of him.”  (Joey Schneider - Posted: Jul 14, 2026 - FOX)

Walker has easy raw bat speed that impacts the barrel. He generates bat speed seemingly effortlessly. He has 70 grade power -- most always to his pull side. His hit tool is at least 50 grade on the 20-80 scouting scale. He has a smooth, spring-loaded swing that hints at the power he’ll develop as he grows into his strength and frame.

Jordan has a tall, well-conditioned frame that projects strength and athleticism. He balances both power and contact at the plate. His longer levers lead to swing-and-miss, but he balances it with a simple, powerful swing and good tracking skills. Despite a longer swing path, Walker shows the ability to hit a variety of pitch shapes and locations. His best contact comes on the outer half of the plate, where he can extend his arms and drive balls to all fields. He’s an aggressive hitter who likes to swing. While this approach can often lead to strikeouts,

Walker’s innate bat-to-ball skills and strength allow him to overcome his aggressive tendencies. The length of his levers and bat path help him cover the whole plate, while also allowing him to barrel pitches in the outside shadow zone. Walker’s double-plus raw power flashes in games and is backed by standout exit velocity numbers.

During the 2022 season, 45% of Walker’s balls in play were hit at 95 mph or harder, and his 114.6 mph max exit velocity was in the 99th percentile among players 21 years or younger. (Chris Hilburn-Trenkle - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2023)

Standing in at 6-foot-5, Walker makes repeated loud contact with a fairly simple, if long, swing and consistently puts up the highest exit velocities at every stop he makes, including the AFL, where he had the four highest exit velos measured by Statcast. While his current career high is 19 homers, he should challenge for 30-plus in the Majors in short order. A swing-heavy approach does lead to some chase concerns, but his overall average and K rates should still be at least solid because of his ability to find the barrel. (Spring 2023)

Jordan stood tall at Double-A Springfield in 2022. His 90th percentile EV of 108.1 mph would rank among the top 15 qualified MLB hitters.

He also was the only qualified minor league hitter with a 90th percentile EV above 108 mph and a weighted on-base average above .360.

As the youngest player at Double-A, Walker has a realistic case as the best power hitting prospect in the minors.

Beyond his raw power, Walker shows a combination of barrel accuracy and optimal attack angles that allow him to get the most out of his natural physicality. Of batters with at least 400 plate appearances this season, Walker ranked 16th with an 18.4% barrel rate, which would rank him among the top five in MLB.

Walker’s combination of tremendous power, barrel accuracy and average contact skills at such a young age puts him on a course for stardom. (Geoff Pontes - Baseball America - Sept, 2022)

The 6-foot-5 masher already showed elite exit velocities in his first taste of the Minors. He maxed out at 116.2 mph in Low-A Southeast (a similar max to Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Javier Báez among others in 2021) and had 21 batted balls come in at 100-plus mph there. Despite a long swing built to make the most of his strength, Walker walked and struck out in nearly equal measures at Palm Beach, only for that ratio to go south in Peoria. The Cardinals insist it was part of his development, and the fact that he was an above-average hitter at High-A is certainly a credit to him. (Spring 2022)

At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Walker has easy bat speed and frequently posts exit velocities over 100 mph. The power potential is obvious, but the big frame creates a naturally long swing and there are questions about his ability to hit breaking balls. While there is some swing and miss in his game, he did shown an improved ability to make contact in 2021. With a strong work ethic and willingness to learn, so he should hit enough to be able to produce the desired power numbers. (Spring 2022)

"Jordan has stupid power,” one Low-A Southeast league manager said in 2021. “For a 19-year-old kid, the man strength he has is rare.”

Jordan has a good feel for hitting and an advanced approach for the game, impressing in particular with the way he makes adjustments on the fly. Walker has some length in his swing that results in swings and misses, but he catches up to velocity and has good knowledge of the strike zone. Walker hits the ball to all fields and projects to be at least an average hitter to go along with plus-plus power as he matures. (Chris Hilburn-Tinkle - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2022)

Evaluators were also impressed with the way Walker quickly adjusted at the plate. Specifically, if he got beat by a pitch in one at-bat, he wasn’t likely to let the same pitch beat him a second time. However, he does struggle versus same-side spin due to over-aggressiveness and longer limbs.  (Sept., 2021)

At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Walker generates leverage and has easy bat speed. The power potential is obvious, but the big frame creates a naturally long swing and there are questions about his ability to hit breaking balls. He has shown an ability to make adjustments, as well as a strong work ethic and willingness to learn, so he should hit enough to be able to produce the desired power numbers. (Spring 2021)

Jordan has the long arms and a big frame befitting a power hitter. While he has some unavoidable length to his swing, he has shown a feel for hitting and can catch up to top velocity. He has a shot to be a fringe-average or even average hitter to go with his plus raw power, which will likely tick up to plus-plus as he continues to grow. (J.J. Cooper - Baseball America Prospect Handbook - Spring, 2021)

Walker offered some of the best power potential in the 2020 Draft, the product of easy bat speed from the right side of the plate and tremendous leverage and projectable strength in his 6-foot-5 frame. Because his size creates a naturally long stroke and he sometimes struggles to recognize breaking balls, there are some mixed opinions on his hitting ability. He does display some feel for hitting and the ability to make adjustments, however, so he should make enough contact to tap into his pop. (Spring 2020)

Walker has very quick bat with very little wasted movement.

Jordan has tremendous leverage and projectable strength in his 6-foot-5 frame, giving him some of the best power potential in this Draft. There are some mixed opinions on his hitting ability because his size creates a naturally long swing and he needs to improve his ability to recognize breaking balls.

But he also shows some feel for hitting and the ability to make adjustments, so he should make enough contact to tap into his pop.

What differentiates Walker is that he doesn’t have any holes in the strike zone despite his 6-foot-5 frame, which is difficult to do. He has electric bat speed that generates loud sweet-spot contact and exceptional exit velocity. He has line-drive and lofting power, with great backspin. Light towers across the majors are in serious danger once Walker arrives; he’ll be smashing light bulbs thanks to his prodigious power. However, he’s a hitter first and uses the whole field. Last August, I predicted he would be the National League Rookie of the Year this season. I stand by that prediction, whether he makes the Cardinals’ 26-man roster out of spring training or not.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak: “Jordan is making a strong impression on our entire staff — not surprised. Because of the (World Baseball Classic) this year, he is getting more opportunities than in a normal spring training and is taking advantage of that. From the offensive side of the ball, he is showing plate discipline and making hard contact, which has produced impressive offensive numbers. The next few weeks will be fun to watch play out.” (Bowden - Mar 14, 2023 - TheAthletic)

Spring 2023: Walker has shown an advanced approach at the plate from the moment he made his debut to start 2021, moving to Double A last year in his age-20 season and finishing third in the Texas League in slugging and seventh in OBP despite being the league’s youngest everyday player on Opening Day and one of only two 20-year-olds to qualify in that league (along with teammate Masyn Winn).

Walker is a big man, 6-foot-5, listed at 220 pounds but stronger than that already, and already makes above-average quality contact, with more power projected as he continues filling out and catches up to the age of his leagues. His swing is very easy and simple, so while he doesn’t have elite bat speed, he gets the bat to the zone quickly enough to hit better velocity. He’s primarily a fastball hitter still, struggling more with soft stuff down and away, relatively speaking, although his zone awareness is ahead of most 20-year-old hitters,’ and it’s hard to beat him anywhere on the inner half.

Jordan might be a 30-homer guy, although it’s more likely he’s a 20-25 homer guy who posts high averages and OBPs, maybe the sort of player who gets underrated because he’s not exceptionally fast or toolsy but offers consistently stellar production over a long period. (Law - Mar 25, 2023 - The Athletic)

April 9, 2023: Off to an impressive start to the season, Cardinals rookie Jordan Walker has already equaled a baseball legend just a handful of games into his Major League career. 

Walker increased his hit streak to nine games. With the base knock, Walker becomes the first player 20 years or younger to begin a season with hits in nine straight games since Ted Williams did it in 1939. (Mike Santa Barbara)

April 12, 2023:  Until the last couple of games, Walker seemed like a one-man hit parade, often among few highlights in a dark stretch of games to open the Cardinals’ season. But Walker had plenty of company in a celebratory clubhouse when he tied a record that has stood for over a century in the 7-4 series finale win in Colorado, recording a hit in each of his first 12 consecutive games to begin his big league career.

Walker waited until the ninth inning, driving a hard broken-bat grounder past the sliding shortstop and into left field for a leadoff single to extend his streak to the record dozen. Walker later came around to score on a Paul Goldschmidt double down the left-field line, adding to the two-run lead the Cards had taken in the eighth on Nolan Gorman's go-ahead homer. 

“That’s special,” manager Oliver Marmol said. “You take it how you can. You can care less how he got that hit, but it's been fun to watch. He's done a really nice job. He is battling a little bit of altitude here, kind of not feeling 100 percent, but he still was able to give us that last at-bat, so that was good.” (O Perkins - MLB.com - April 12, 2023)

June 19, 2023: His 11-game hitting streak, made him just the third player in Cardinals team history the age 21 or younger to have multiple 10+ game-hitting streaks in the same season joining franchise legends Albert Pujols and Rogers Hornsby.

Sept. 1, 2024: Walker became the youngest Cardinal to have five hits in a game since MLB Hall of Famer Roger Hornsby in 1916.

2023 Season: By the end of the season fans saw why Walker arrived with so much rookie buzz. He progressed as a hitter and as an outfielder as the campaign wore on. He hit .304 with an .853 OPS in his last 27 games and finished with a .276 batting average, 16 homers and 51 RBIs. His ability to judge fly balls improved dramatically and he learned to harness his strong throwing arm. Walker doesn’t turn 22 until next May, so he is just scratching his surface. (Jeff Gordon - Oct. 4, 2023)

2024 Season: After a somewhat weird rookie year, Walker was a shell of himself in 2024. In Triple-A Memphis Walker could not find his power stroke and did not resemble the top prospect fans once were sold on.

Skipping Triple-A, facing Major League pitching at 21, changing positions, and getting demoted. Not exactly the easiest path for a player to go through and still find success. I’m sure the toll of *gestures to everything* did not help the mental side of Walker’s game. However, a late season swing change helped him finish on a high note.

Equipped with a new swing, Walker slashed .253/.286/.494 with five home runs in September. The strikeouts were still high, but you could see Walker impacting the baseball at a higher rate with more ease. Of his 15 hardest hit balls in 2024, 11 came in September. All of his home runs happened in September as well. A positive sign, confidence builder, and reason to have hope for 2025. (Clay Snowden | Nov 15, 2024)

2024-25 Seasons: We now have a 279-game sample size to evaluate Jordan Walker, and it’s not pretty. In the last two seasons, Walker’s accumulated the worst fWAR among MLB outfielders (-1.9), and is in the bottom four in wOBA (.263) and wRC+ (68) (min. 800 PA). While it was only two years ago, his .787 OPS, 116 wRC+ rookie campaign feels like an eternity ago now. That campaign likely contributed to his 290 ADP (per NFBC), on par with Roman Anthony and ahead of Wilyer Abreu and Ryan O’Hearn. Fantasy managers who selected him were rewarded with just six home runs, ten steals, and a .584 OPS.

Walker’s a physical monster, and has the frame to find form as a slugger. He’s got insane power (78.1 mph bat speed, 99th percentile) and good exit velocities with a 50% hard-hit rate. The problem is putting the bat on the ball (35.6% whiff rate, 34.1% chase rate). It’s not impossible for that skill to develop, but it’s incredibly challenging.

Walker’s inability to handle off-speed stuff (.172 wOBA) or breaking stuff (42.1% whiff rate) doesn’t help either. Walker can rebound and grow into an MLB contributor. However, he’s a player to avoid until significant improvements are made in his approach at the plate. Walker is an “avoid-at-all-costs” asset going into 2026, with my faith in him making the necessary changes dwindling. (Jack Mueller - Oct. 30, 2025 - PitcherList)

It's the first time a Cardinals player had had those three components in a game since Ray Lankford in 1997, according to beat reporter Jeff Jones.

Walker also had an outfield assist, which makes it even more unique.  (Billy Heyen - The Sporting News)

In 2022, Walker was moved by the Cardinals, from third base to the outfield at Double-A Springfield.

Walker is moving to the grass to get out of Nolan Arenado’s shadow, and he’s still a work in progress out there with his reads and routes. He’s a better runner than his size would indicate, and even if he slows down as he matures, he could be a serviceable corner outfielder. He displayed a cannon of an arm in Arizona, maxing out with a 99.5 mph laser, so right is likely his best spot. Walker should hit enough to feature anywhere and might not need much more offensive seasoning in the Minors. (Spring 2023)

Jordan, not yet three months removed from his 20th birthday, punctuated his breakout season at the plate by showing deft and athletic play at all three outfield positions.

Walker adapted quickly to playing the outfield, specifically the corners. He was viewed as playable in left with a 60 grade arm that fits right field.

St. Louis was also pleased with Walker’s defense at the hot corner, and officials praised his instincts and arm at a difficult position. He remains a work in progress there, and if he slows down as he ages, defensive questions will likely persist. The Peach State native will go as far as his bat will take him, and it’s already moved him quicker up the Cardinals' ladder than many expected. (Spring 2022)

“I’m not sold on his third base defense,” a scout said in 2021. “(I think) he likely moves to right field at some point.”

Athletic for his size, the hope is for Walker to remain at third base, where he has spent the entirely of his brief professional career. However, if he loses some quickness and he continues to grow, his above-average arm and power bat would profile well at either first base or a corner outfield spot. (Spring 2022) 

Walker is a good athlete, runs well for his size and worked hard to improve at third base -- grading 45 now. He has good footwork and an above-average, 55 grade arm, but will need to improve his instincts and reactions to stick at the hot corner. Scouts are split on whether he will be able to stay third base. Some believe he will end up at first base or right field, where his arm and offensive ability profile well.

Walker's bat should allow him to play anywhere. (Chris Hilburn-Trinkle - BAPH - Spring, 2022)

Athletic for his size, Walker is expected to remain at third base and focused a lot of his time there at the alternate training site. If he continues to grow or loses some speed as he fills out, his 65 grade arm (clocked at 91 mph throwing to first base from the hot corner), coupled with his power bat, would profile well in right field.

Walker's excellent work ethic gives him a shot to stick there, but he may have to move to first base depending on how much bigger he gets. (Aug 2021)

Walker has easy arm strength from a high release point and easy carry across the diamond. He has been clocked at 90 mph from the mound, in high school. He has a 55 grade arm that would also play well in right field.

March 12, 2023: Walker avoided serious injury when he mildly strained his right shoulder while sliding into second base against the Astros.

May 31-June 14, 2025: The Cardinals have placed outfielder Jordan Walker on the 10-day injury list with left wrist inflammation.

June 25-July 18, 2025: Walker was placed on the IL due to appendicitis.