Aug 29, 2025; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker (18) and second baseman Thomas Saggese (25) run off the field in the sixth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Katie Stratman-Imagn Images Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Cardinals Hitting Coach Rips Struggling Outfielder For Hitting Approach

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Curt Bishop | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The St. Louis Cardinals season has been more about providing opportunities for younger players than it has been about winning. They are finally committing to a rebuild and will focus on the future rather than the present. This year, they chose to give Jordan Walker more opportunities to prove himself at the Major League level.

Unfortunately, Walker has not produced. He has been on the injured list twice and has also been unable to replicate his success from his rookie season in 2023. He was sent down to Triple-A Memphis twice in 2024 and simply hasn't found his groove as an everyday player in 2025.

On Tuesday, manager Oli Marmol and hitting coach Brant Brown spoke on KMOX and discussed Walker and his approach. Brown made a very important comment that shed some light on the battle the Cardinals are facing with getting Walker going at the big-league level.

Cardinals Hitting Coach Calls Out Jordan Walker For Preparation

Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

"At some point in time he’s going to have to devote more focus on preparation," Brown told KMOX. "

"One thing with (Walker) is we’ve played a massive game of tennis, going back and forth with what he feels like he needs to do versus what he really needs to do. But for me, there’s a really easy way out. He might have to be a little bit more uncomfortable to be able to achieve what we wanted to achieve.”

Based on Brown's comments, there may be some frustration from the Cardinals coaching staff about Walker and his approach at the plate, as well as his preparation. Walker hasn't been the same player he was in 2023, and his offensive output has really suffered.

The 23-year-old outfielder has hit .220/.274/.313 with just five home runs, 34 RBI, a -1.4 WAR and a .587 OPS during the regular season. He had a brief stretch after he came off the injured list where he was producing better results at the plate, but he has struggled since August 10.

This may mean that Walker's days in the Cardinals organization could be numbered and that this could ultimately lead to him being traded elsewhere. He hasn't been what the Cardinals expected him to be, and other players have passed him on the depth chart.

Players such as Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman and Ivan Herrera have emerged as key bats. We'll see if Walker can turn things around.

This article first appeared on St. Louis Cardinals on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: