ST. LOUIS -- It’s an adage in baseball to be wary of the temptation to read too much into Spring Training statistics.
Jordan Walker may be the latest entry into the log.
Walker’s Grapefruit League production for the Cardinals (.205/.255./.273 slash line in 47 plate appearances) led to some external pessimism about the right fielder’s potential to erase an uneven last couple of campaigns.
Could Walker reach back for the type of success he exhibited during his rookie year in 2023, when -- even with a stint in Triple-A Memphis sandwiched into his year -- he posted a sturdy .787 OPS across 465 big league plate appearances?
The spring numbers suggested perhaps not. Opening weekend against Tampa Bay has told another story.
On Sunday at Busch Stadium, Walker went 3-for-4 and rifled a pair of extra-base hits in the same game for the first time since Sept. 26, 2024. Walker scored three times in the Cardinals’ 11-7 loss to the Rays, launching a three-run home run and scorching a double in a strong game that concluded his productive weekend.
For all of the discussion around his mechanics over the years, Walker is finding his rhythm by simplifying, and clearing the noise.
“Today, my head was just a little bit more clear,” Walker said. “I think that’s just the best way to hit -- clear your head a little bit. I’ve been trying to find things to do to keep my head from thinking about mechanics.”
Walker appeared in command of his approach against Rays left-handed starter Steven Matz. In his first plate appearance in the third inning, Walker turned on a sinker in his wheelhouse and roped it for a double past left fielder Chandler Simpson.
It wasn’t really a “down-the-line” double, either, as you might expect for it to scoot all the way to the wall beyond the reach of a speedster like Simpson. No, Walker just hit it with a 114.9 mph exit velocity for the hardest-hit batted ball of the game.
One of the narratives surrounding Walker during his first three years of Major League action, whether fair or overblown, has been the frequency at which the hard contact off his bat is distributed at the desired angle in the air.
Well, there wasn’t much to critique on that front when it came to Walker’s towering fourth-inning homer. Per Statcast, Walker stayed on Matz’s changeup away and served up a three-run blast with a 105.8 mph exit velocity and a 27 degree launch angle.
Walker went the other way for a single in the eighth, crossing the plate on a Pedro Pagés homer. In 12 plate appearances on the young season, Walker is slashing .400/.500/.900.
“The swings have looked better, the approach has been better, and you look at the results that we got today -- that’s a really, really good day,” Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. “I’m proud of the work being put in and him continuing to stay locked into the process and not let some of the noise and the results affect his day-to-day work.”
Another adage in baseball, of course, is beware the small sample size.
Walker’s early looks during this opening series have been overwhelmingly positive, but it will be incumbent upon the 23-year-old outfielder to keep attacking his process in order to keep producing the results over the long haul of the season.
Consistent swing decisions remain an element critical to Walker’s success, and he’s still prone to the occasional off-balance moment. Right-handed reliever Kevin Kelly froze Walker on a called third strike in a key spot to end the sixth inning. The pitch flirted with the bottom of the strike zone, and might have made for an interesting spot to challenge for the six-foot, six-inch Walker (St. Louis had one ABS challenge remaining).
But Walker’s early strides this weekend -- four hits, three for extra bases, plus two walks and just one borderline strikeout looking -- present a foundation upon which to build.
“I felt pretty good today,” Walker said. “There were some pitches I was off on the timing with, but getting the ball in my spot and being able to hit it is what I was looking forward to -- so being able to do that, it’s a green light for right now on where I’m at.”