Cardinals’ Jordan Walker Debate Has Completely Flipped

May 12, 2026; West Sacramento, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) rounds third base and scores a run on a hit by left fielder Jose Fermin (not pictured) in a game against the Athletics during the first inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Lee-Imagn Images Dennis Lee-Imagn Images

Cardinals’ Jordan Walker Debate Has Completely Flipped

Originally posted on St. Louis Cardinals on SI
By Patrick McAvoy | Last updated May 19, 2026 11:20 AM ET

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What a difference a few months make.

There was a time back before the 2026 Major League Baseball season began when there were plenty of people in the St. Louis Cardinals fanbase calling on the club to start Jordan Walker down in Triple-A after a tough Spring Training. Walker played in 14 games throughout camp and slashed .205/.255/.273. After tough seasons in 2024 and 2025 in the majors, it wasn't the most shocking thing in the world that there were nervous fans out there after another tough stretch.

While this is the case, Cardinals manager Oli Marmol made it clear that he was backing Walker and his faith has paid off. Walker is having a bounce-back season for the ages for the Cardinals. He has played in 45 games and is slashing .301/.371/.584 with 13 homers, 34 RBIs, 19 walks, 10 doubles and 34 runs scored.

Jordan Walker Is A Star

Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Walker has gone from a potential bust to a legit Most Valuable Player candidate at 23 years old. It's been a roller coaster of a few months for Walker. The perception of him has changed so much that Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter called him the club's "most untouchable" player.

"St. Louis Cardinals: OF Jordan Walker," Reuter wrote. "Arbitration-eligible through 2029. On the cusp of being labeled a true bust, Walker has broken through this season as one of the best hitters in baseball, with the batted-ball metrics to back up that bold claim. The 23-year-old now looks like the centerpiece of the team's rebuilding efforts, with a .301/.371/.584 line, 13 home runs and 3.0 WAR through 45 games."

Who saw that coming a few months ago? Walker has had a meteoric rise and has gone from looking like a potential castoff to someone the Cardinals' lineup can't afford to lose.

This is a massive bright spot for the organization. The Cardinals are using the 2026 season for development purposes and this is exactly what they need. St. Louis needs to have its core in place in order to think ahead and start spending again. This season already has been a step in that direction. Plus, these young guys don't want to just sit around and wait. The Cardinals are 27-19 on the season so far and in third place in the National League Central. St. Louis looks like a legit playoff team and will just get better with more time under its belt.

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

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