Cardinals' Jordan Walker drives hit streak to nine, equaling Red Sox legend
Off to an impressive start to the 2023 campaign, St. Louis Cardinals rookie Jordan Walker has already equaled a baseball legend just a handful of games into his Major League career.
On Sunday, 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 Hall of Famer Ted Williams in 1939.
According to ESPN's Sarah Langs, Walker is only the third player since 1900 to begin the year with a nine-game hit streak or longer, joining Williams and Chicago White Sox's Eddie Murphy, who posted a 12-game hit streak to start the 1912 campaign.
The 20-year-old finished the day 1-for-3 with a walk and a strikeout, singling home the Cardinals' lone run in a 6-1 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers. In the fourth inning, Walker jumped on a Freddy Peralta slider, sending it up the middle to drive in third baseman Nolan Arenado from second.
After an impressive spring, Walker hasn't missed a beat since the start of the regular season. Through nine games, Walker has reached base safely in 12 of 34 at-bats, posting two home runs and eight RBI while slashing .353/.405/.588.
Selected with the 21st overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft by the Cardinals out of Decatur High School in Georgia, Walker is already turning heads during his short time as a pro. Walker will look to move his hit streak to double digits on Monday when the Cardinals take on the Colorado Rockies in the first of a three-game road series.
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