After making it to the Major Leagues by the time he was 20, outfielder Jordan Walker is now being counted on as one of the team’s leaders. Will he finally live up to the expectations that have been placed on him?
Just two years ago, Jordan Walker looked like he would be the face of the St. Louis Cardinals franchise for years to come. As the number-one prospect in the organization and one of the top young players in baseball, the future appeared bright for the former first-round draft pick. At a hulking 6’6″ and 260 pounds, Redbird fans envisioned him launching rockets into the Busch Stadium bleachers and leading the team to glory.
Walker originally advanced directly to the majors without playing at Triple-A. He had some success in 2023, but there were plenty of ups and downs during his rookie season. He posted 16 home runs and 51 RBI while hitting .276 in 117 games and reeled off a 12-game hitting streak to start his MLB career. However, he was eventually demoted to the minors before April had ended due to what the team felt were inconsistencies in his play.
2024 was more of the same, with Walker’s second season being another ‘failure to launch’. He floundered in year two, hitting just .201 with five homers and 20 RBI as he shuffled back to the minors. That’s why 2025 is a pivotal year for Walker; he must prove that he can live up to his potential.
Still just 22 years old, Jordan Walker is certainly no MLB washout. At least, not yet, but he will need to show he can stick with the big club for an entire season in 2025. Otherwise, he begins to fall into the ‘what if’ category. One that so many other prized prospects have in the past.
For Walker to truly prove he’s what the Cardinals originally envisioned him to be, he needs to tag about 25 home runs and collect 80-90 RBI. Not only for his own sake but for the team’s, as well. The Redbirds were woefully powerless in 2024, finishing 22nd in Major League Baseball with just 165 dingers. On top of that, the lineup has gotten weaker in the offseason thanks to some departures.
That leaves a void for Walker to fill, provided he can find his old form. It’s a make-or-break season for the budding star, but with his team still mending a lot of fences, he won’t be under nearly as much pressure. The Cards aren’t expected to be strong contenders this season, so their youthful lineup will have some room to breathe… and some time to grow.
After letting Paul Goldschmidt walk away in free agency and looking to trade star third baseman Nolan Arenado, Cardinals President John Mozeliak has made it clear the team is going with a youth movement. That means Walker, along with emerging star shortstop Masyn Winn, will be counted on to be leaders. Not just on the field, but in the stat lines as well.
Winn, who has been Walker’s best friend all through the minors and now the big leagues, stated recently that he sees their partnership as the building block of a new Cardinals era. The cannon-armed infielder envisions the pair having success together in 2025.
“Obviously, going through the minors with [Walker] and watching him play day in and day out, it was unbelievable” Winn asserted. “A lot of guys don’t want to see other guys succeed whenever they’re failing. [At times] I’ve failed at every single level, but watching him go crazy and move up only motivated me.”
“That dude – to this day – is probably the best player I’ve ever seen, in person, throughout the minor leagues. And I think it’s only a matter of time until that translates to the big leagues… Me and him have talked about winning a World Series here for our entire careers, throughout the minor leagues and up until now. We want to be faces for this city and faces for this franchise.”
Once considered a front-runner for the NL Rookie of the Year Award, Walker finds himself standing on the edge of destiny in 2025. The next direction that his career goes could define him for the rest of his tenure in Major League Baseball. Is he just a ‘4A Player’? A guy who is good enough to make the team, but not counted on as an everyday contributor?
Those are the concerns that Walker must address in the upcoming season. The smart money says that he will answer his critics and have a defining year; he’s got too much talent to believe anything different. The first month or two of the campaign should tell Redbird fans all they need to know. If he’s hitting the cover off the ball early and often? Then he should be primed to thrive in 2025.
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