Jordan Walker ranked as St. Louis Cardinals’ No. 1 prospect

Jordan Walker was ranked as St. Louis Cardinals’ No. 1 prospect, making John Mozeliak’s decision not to trade him look even smarter.

During the season, St. Louis Cardinals executives raved about infield prospect Jordan Walker. President of baseball operations John Mozeliak called him the organization’s top hitting prospect since Albert Pujols and Oscar Taveras.

Now, Walker was rated by Baseball America as the Cardinals’ top prospect, ahead of infielder Nolan Gorman and pitcher Matthew Liberatore. Here is what Baseball America had to say about Walker’s future:

“Walker’s combination of tools and performance fit the profile of a future middle-of-the-order bat. After the way he performed at the Class A levels, he looks ready for an assignment to Double-A, and it’s not our or the question that he could make it to Triple-A by the end of the 2022 season, setting himself up for a 2023 big league debut.”

In trade talks, virtually every team has asked about Walker. He’s only 20, has an imposing 6-foot-5 frame and has an advanced approach at the plate. It has shown in the minors, where he hit .317/.388/.548 with 14 home runs and 48 RBI with two teams last season.

While his bat has elite potential – Baseball America gave him a 70-grade power – it’s unclear where he fits defensively long term. He is currently at third base, but with Nolan Arenado at third base and Gorman also capable of playing third, he could be in line to start at first base or in right field, with BA saying it’s “where his arm and offensive ability will profile well.”

Either way, Walker is going to be a significant part of the Cardinals’ future. With Gorman, it gives them two of the most promising young offensive assets for the next decade if they continue to progress at this rate — and makes Mozeliak’s decision not to trade Walker look even smarter.