Cardinals Phenom Has Turned Heads Early For St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals weren't able to give big roles to as many young players as initially expected this offseason, but there are a few guys who already have impressed.

St. Louis has played just four games and is 3-1 so far. It's obviously been a small sample size, but that doesn't mean there aren't positive takeaways. For example, 22-year-old outfielder Jordan Walker has had a hot start to the new season.

Walker arguably is the team's most interesting player right now. He's someone who could be a star in the making and someone for St. Louis to build around for years to come. He could be a guy that the Cardinals give up on and trade elsewhere. Or anything in between.

Walker had a great rookie year in 2023 but didn't have the same success in 2024. He spent a lot of time in the minors but he's back with the big league club getting an everyday opportunity. Walker has been good so far and has four hits in his first nine at-bats. He's also walked twice and has a .583 on-base percentage.

Again, this is a small sample size, but his advanced metrics have looked good as well. His max exit velocity right now is 116.5 miles per hour, which already is higher than either of the last two years in the majors. His average exit velocity is also at its highest right now at 92.3 miles per hour. Last year, it was at 91.2 miles per hour ,and in 2023 it was at 89.4 miles per hour. He hasn't even really barreled the ball yet, and he's still putting up some numbers.

If he can keep up these types of numbers, he could have a good year.