St. Louis Cardinals: Jordan Walker ranked top prospect, may be promoted

Jordan Walker adds elite bat to the lineup

There is no guarantee that a player’s stats translate at the next level, but based on recent jumps from prominent rookies around the league, Walker could bring needed production to St. Louis day one.

This season, the Atlanta Braves have called up two players straight from AA, Michael Harris and Vaughn Grissom, both of who have gone on to provide elite production for the reigning World Series champions. Walker is a higher regarded prospect than those two, and has put up even better numbers than both players did in AA this season.

Outside of their two MVP candidates in Goldschmidt and Arenado, the Cardinals have not found consistent production from their other regulars at the plate. Manager Oli Marmol is constantly shifting his lineup around to try and find the hot hands, but if the club wants to contend for more than a postseason appearance, they’ll need other guys to help stabilize the lineup.

The Cardinals have especially struggled against right handed pitching, which Walker has a .926 OPS against so far this season. His .864 OPS against left handed pitching as well makes Walker dangerous against all pitchers, something few players on the Cardinals roster can provide.

Walker’s mix of power and on-base skills is exactly the kind of bat that could do this. Whether it’s from the leadoff spot, two hole, or batting behind their sluggers, Walker could give St. Louis another bat to be feared and take their lineup to the next level. There are multiple positions that Walker could play to make it into the lineup, depending on who is playing well.