As the baseball landed Tuesday in Busch Stadium’s left field bullpen, it suddenly and surprisingly could breathe clearly through its nasal passages because Jordan Walker had hit the snot out of it.
Walker’s homer, 108 mph off the bat, was his fourth of September, a reassuring sign that Jordan Walker perhaps still can become, well, the Jordan Walker we thought he’d be.
A question for you all: Does Walker’s down year (and weird year) alter how you envision his career playing out? For me, it doesn’t change it. I still think he’ll become an All-Star outfielder for the St. Louis Cardinals (incidentally, the Cards haven’t had an All-Star outfielder since Matt Holliday in 2015).
Yes, Walker’s 2024 has been a lost season. But Walker is not a lost cause. Primarily because of his improved willingness to adjust.
“I think he’s learned a lot from this year, and (when) you talk to him, there’s a different tone to kind of where he’s at mentally,†Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “He’s gone through some adjustments. Some have worked. Some have not. Right now, you’re seeing (in his swing) that his front side is different. And he’s being able to hold that position in order to (maximize) pitch recognition and just stay on the ball a little bit more.
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“So I think he’s getting to a point where he’s understanding: I am going to have to make certain adjustments to take my game to the next level. And sometimes what gets you here isn’t what keeps you here. And he’s open to that.â€
A rookie in 2023, Walker was sent down to improve his line-drive rate. He returned to the Cards on June 2, 2023, and played in 97 games down the stretch, hitting .277 with an .802 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS). At that point, shoot, it wasn’t just a question of whether he’d be an All-Star but whether he’d be an All-Star in 2024?
But this year, he struggled early yet again — and he was sent down yet again. Controversial move, yes. But at the time, the Cards weren’t in a position to let a young player learn on the job. So Walker, who turned 22 on May 22, played most of the year in Memphis. He smacked a bunch of baseballs there.
Now, we all know about the brief mid-August call-up — and the perceived miscommunication. Marmol said he wanted Walker as a righty bat to face lefties, while the front office routinely said it didn’t want prospects sitting if they’re in St. Louis.
But when Walker got his second 2024 call-up, on Aug. 30, it was to play every day. And entering Wednesday, Walker had an .810 OPS in those 16 games, including six extra-base hits and the five-for-five day at Yankee Stadium.
“I’m looking to just continue to drive the pitches that I’m looking for — and also trying to not chase,†Walker told the media on Tuesday. “It’s just, really, consistency.â€
He’s been humbled, no doubt. And not every athlete responds wonderfully from a humbling. But Walker will. Because now, it seems, not only was he humbled by his outcomes on the field but also by his approach off of it.
Teammate Alec Burleson said that Walker is “starting to learn how to, I guess, take information from guys and realize that some people have done it for a long time and know what it takes. So he’s getting better at that. But he’s taking like a pro. So I’m happy for him and want to continue seeing that success.â€
From the manager’s office on Wednesday afternoon, Marmol spoke openly about Walker, a player he said has a ceiling that is “super-high. ...
“But you get (to the majors) because you believe in yourself, and you’ve done it a certain way. And then when the league shows you something that you need to make an adjustment to, sometimes it takes longer to do. But I do think he’s different now in understanding, like, ‘Man, I did it a certain way, and there are some adjustments I have to make, in order to take that next step. And that next step, and then that next step.’ We’re experiencing that side of him more this year than previous year.â€
Much of this comes back to chasing pitches. For Walker, the best version of himself is a batter who can win a battle against a good pitch but can avoid swinging at a beguiling great pitch that will end up outside the strike zone. His current chase percentage of 31.4 rates below average on Baseball Savant (for the season, Major League Baseball players have a 28.5% chase rate).
And by decreasing his chasing of pitches, Walker should get more ball calls ... and thus more pitches per at-bat — and, ultimately, a pitch to hit. And Baseball Savant states that Walker has shown improvement in exit velocity and bat speed.
“I’m betting he’s going to be a really, really good player,†Marmol said. “My goal is to spend as much time with him this offseason and just monitor that progress, to make sure that we get the player that we know we have out of him, come next year. But there’s growth there. ...
“The homers are all are awesome, yeah, but him spitting on a 1-2 slider ... you can just tell he’s recognizing it a little earlier than usual, and that’s also important. But it’s going to be a process.â€