5 young Cardinals who have answered the call so far and 3 who haven't

Jordan Walker's slow start only increases the concerns that fans had for him.

In order to understand Jordan Walker's struggles offensively at the majors, we must go back a few years to spring training 2023. Walker hadn't played above Double-A Springfield, and while his showing there was strong as a 20-year-old, it wasn't enough to justify moving him up to the majors for Opening Day 2023.

A former top-three prospect in baseball, Walker made his debut at the ripe age of 20, and he started off with a bang, logging a hit in 12 straight games at one point. Many fans and pundits were excited, as Walker's hit tool was his best quality, and he was flexing it early in his career. However, things began crumbling for the tall outfielder.

He was one of the worst defenders in baseball in 2023 and 2024, and learning a new position at the major-league level was sure to be a challenge for a player of his age. Walker finished 2023 as an above-average hitter, but he plummeted in 2024. He finished last year with a .201/.253/.366 slash line and only five home runs in 178 plate appearances. Walker spent most of the year at Triple-A Memphis, something he should have probably done in 2023.

Walker's main issue was swinging at breaking balls down and away and out of the strike zone. He whiffed at 69% of pitches down and out of the zone away last year, and his metrics were all below average on pitches down and away.

The story has been much the same for Walker this year. He's whiffing at 68% of pitches outside of the zone down and away, and he's seeing the bulk of his pitches there. While Walker's bat speed continues to be near the top of the league, he isn't capitalizing on this by swinging at pitches in the zone.

Poor swing choices have led Walker to have a .180/.252/.246 slash line and a 45 wRC+/ in 135 plate appearances. His strikeout rate is well above 30% now, and his ISO is .066.

If Jordan Walker wants to be a part of the club's future plans, he needs to figure out how to avoid breaking balls down and away. If he can't make those adjustments, the Cardinals may be looking at one of baseball's latest top prospect flops.