The St. Louis Cardinals are optimistic that Jordan Walker can rediscover his potential and make a strong comeback in the upcoming season. At just 20 years old, Walker is entering his third MLB campaign, which has been marked by ups and downs. His 2024 season saw him spend more than half of the year in the minors, as he worked on refining his game.<\/p>\n
This offseason, the young outfielder has been focused on honing his mechanics, hoping to build off the positive momentum from a strong finish to last year. With renewed determination, Walker and the Cardinals are eager to see him take the next step in his development.<\/p>\n
The Cardinals<\/a> hired Brant Brown to be their new hitting coach this offseason. Brown has been working with Walker at the Cardinals Spring Training facility in Jupiter, Florida.<\/p>\n \u201cJordan has taken to it,” Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol<\/a> told reporters at last week’s ‘Winter Warmup’ press event. “Part of it is getting back to what is comfortable to him and making small adjustments based on that and he\u2019s been very positive about it. I feel like that relationship has started off in a really good direction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Walker shared with reporters that he has been focusing on adjustments to both his hand placement and lower body mechanics this offseason. Regarding his hands, he explained that hitting coach Turner Brown helped him realize that his hands were positioned further back in 2024 compared to his successful 2023 campaign. Additionally, Walker noted that his lower body mechanics weren\u2019t as dynamic as they had been in the past, something he\u2019s working to correct as he prepares for the upcoming season.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of focus on trying to get back to really what I was doing in 2023,” Walker told reporters at the ‘Winter Warmup. “I\u2019ve just been thinking of getting back to what I was doing and my approach. I\u2019ve been working hard this offseason and I\u2019m excited to take it into the season.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Walker has also been working with new coaching hire Jon Jay on his defense and baserunning. He told reporters he’s fed off the work he’s doing with both new coaches.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s really the energy they brought, they\u2019re excited. How can you not be excited for them?” Walker said. “I just like the way they both approach the game of baseball, and it makes me also just really want to fight.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n 2024 wasn\u2019t the sophomore season Jordan Walker had hoped for. After struggling at the plate during his first 20 games, he was sent down to Triple-A Memphis to work on his game. However, he was called back up in August, and from that point on, Walker began to show signs of improvement. Over the final month of the season, he slashed .253\/.286\/.494 and hit five home runs in his last 25 games\u2014a stark contrast to the zero home runs he had in his first 26 games.<\/p>\n As a 19-year-old rookie in 2023, Jordan Walker demonstrated the talent that made him the Cardinals’ top prospect. He posted a solid slash line of .276\/.342\/.445 and hit 16 home runs, showcasing his potential at the big league level. Teammates who played with him in the minors remain confident that Walker can still become the player he showed he could be during his impressive rookie campaign.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019ll be fun to see him get back to his minor league Jordan Walker,” said Cardinal’s shortstop Masyn Winn<\/a>. “I mean that dude was to this day probably the best player I ever saw in person throughout the minor leagues, and I think it\u2019s only a matter of time until that translates to the big leagues. He had a good last month last year, I\u2019m hoping he can carry that over and really be a catalyst.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nBuilding Off a Strong End to 2024<\/h3>\n
Walker Will Have Plenty of Opportunity in 2025<\/h3>\n