The Cardinals slugger has broken out in a major way![\"St.](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/mlb\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/01kp178mk3sd9etr1chp.jpg\" "\\"St.")
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Apr 10, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) heads to third base and then home in the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images<\/p>\n
“Jordan Walker explained to me he\u2019d rather not talk about how he\u2019s gotten on track, because he doesn\u2019t want to overthink it and he wants to look forward not backwards,” Hayes wrote on X. “He just wants to ‘keep it simple.’ Makes sense to me.”<\/p>\n
Whatever Walker is doing, hopefully he can keep it up because he’s playing like one of the better overall players in the National League in general. Walker is living up to the massive potential that he entered the big leagues with back in 2023. As a rookie, Walker slashed .276\/.342\/.445 with 16 homers, 51 RBIs, seven stolen bases, 37 walks, 19 doubles, two triples and 51 runs scored in 117 games played. <\/p>\n
That was a good rookie season, especially when you take into account the fact that he was 20 years old when he made his big league debut. Right now, he’s playing better than he did at any point during that campaign. As a rookie, he finished the season with -0.1 wins above replacement. In 2024, he finished the season at -0.8 wins above replacement. In 2025, he finished at -1.7 wins above replacement. So far this season, he’s already at 1.2 wins above replacement. <\/a>JJ Wetherholt is also 23 years old and has gotten buzz around the league over the last few months. Walker is also 23 years old and has taken a clear step forward. <\/p>\n