It’s not every day you see a giant, powerful right-handed bat roaming the outfield of a Major League stadium. And to see two on the same team? That’s the dream.
It’s now the reality the St. Louis Cardinals are living in, and if this weekend was any indication, Jordan Walker and Joshua Báez are going to be a problem for the rest of the league.
While Walker (6-foot-6) stands a bit taller than Báez (6-foot-3), the duo have intimidating frames in the batter’s box, boasting power and speed combinations that feel far more like video game characters than typical Major League outfielders. Báez just made MLB history by becoming the first player to hit three home runs in his first three career at-bats, while Walker is fresh off one of the most memorable Home Run Derby victories we’ve seen.
Those power tools, paired with the character and work ethic both youngsters possess, is why the Cardinals were not quick to give up on either of them, even when many on the outside doubted how impactful Walker and Báez would be.
Walker’s problems came when he reached the Major League level, as he found himself struggling defensively, striking out far too often and not consistently putting the ball in the air to turn his elite exit velocities into true damage. Báez’s issues presented themselves in the early stages of his Minor League tenure, as he could not make contact often enough to tap into his own elite power.
Both have shown the kind of resilience that makes believing in their upside easier.
Walker, 24, spent the last calendar year rebuilding himself and refining his approach. Toward the end of Spring Training, the Cardinals began to finally see things come together, and once the regular season began, Walker looked like the potential superstar the Cardinals thought he could be when he debuted in 2023.
Báez, 23, spent four weeks on the Development List back in August 2024 and then grinded with the Cardinals’ player development staff that offseason. He emerged looking like a completely different prospect in 2025. Entering last season, Báez wasn’t even among the Cardinals’ Top 30 Prospects, according to MLB Pipeline. Yet by the end of the season, he was a Top 100 prospect in the sport, debuting at No. 59.
Both Walker and Báez have put up eye-popping power numbers from the right side this season. Walker’s 24 home runs are tied for 21st in MLB, while Báez led all of Triple-A with 34 home runs prior to his three-homer debut. That kind of power is especially hard to find from the right side in today’s game. Walker ranks eighth in homers among right-handed hitters, and just two hitters (Rays’ Junior Caminero and Rockies’ Hunter Goodman) have over 30 so far.
Looking at the top of the Cardinals’ lineup, they have the ideal complements to the right-handed power that both Báez and Walker boast. Since they can do major damage against southpaws, it would make sense for manager Oliver Marmol to slot the left-handed-hitting Alec Burleson right in front of or in between them, as his .989 OPS against right-handed pitchers is third-best in baseball. And in front of all three of them are JJ Wetherholt and Iván Herrera, who, at their best, are on-base machines.
It’s likely that Báez, like almost every rookie, will take time to adjust to the Major League level. Báez followed his historic debut with an 0-for-5 showing that featured his first three strikeouts. No need to panic, but it’s just a reminder that he’s still a young bat who has been working through swing-and-miss issues for years now.
Still, both Walker and Báez have put on shows this year that will go down in baseball history. And if those performances are any indication of what’s to come, Cardinals fans are in for a treat.