Cardinals seeing deja vu with former phenom at a career crossroads

You know the story. 

This high school player, drafted in 2020, possessed a power upside that scouts drooled over. He signed for over-slot money, and the hope was that he could be a middle-of-the-order bat. When he hits the ball, the power is apparent. It just hasn’t translated to pro ball as it should. The coaches, wanting to get the most out of this promising young prospect, started working on changing his swing. The primary focus being the launch angle. 

His other problem was playing third base with limited range. He was also blocked at third by a player who made the All-Star team in 2021 and 2022. His limited range and being blocked at third required learning a new position. 

I know what you are thinking. This is just one more Jordan Walker article. And, well, you are wrong. This is about the other Jordan — Blaze Jordan. 

The parallels are spooky. Everything written above fits both players exactly. Even the fact that Nolan Arenado and Rafael Devers were All-Stars who blocked both players. They were widely ranked as the #1 and #2 corner infield prospects in that draft class. Blaze became a YouTube sensation at age 13 after winning home run derbies with 500-foot blasts at MLB stadiums. By age 17, Jordan Walker was already recording 105+ mph exit velocities in wood-bat showcases, a feat usually reserved for fully developed Major Leaguers.

Chaim Bloom drafted Blaze in 2020 and at last year’s trade deadline traded Steven Matz to the Red Sox to get him. 

There have been several articles written about how the Cardinals’ experiment with Walker has shown inconsistent results. The question then is, with the uncanny similarities, will this work out any better for Blaze? There are a few reasons it should, even though Walker seems to be still struggling. 

Baseline

First, they are starting from opposite mechanical baselines. While both players have struggled with hitting too many ground balls, the fix for each is different. 

Blaze Jordan has a very low strikeout rate (around 11%-14% in Triple-A). Because he seldom swings and misses, he has a massive margin for error. If he tweaks his launch angle, he is still expected to put the ball in play.

Jordan Walker has struggled with a much higher strikeout rate (surging over 30% in 2025). When Walker tries to change his swing, he risks adding more "whiff" to an already high-strikeout profile. Blaze doesn't have that same risk of falling into a "swing and miss" trap.

Cause and solution

The cause of their ground balls—and therefore the solution—is different:

Jordan Walker (stability issue): Walker’s high ground-ball rate (over 60% at times) was caused by his back hip collapsing and his hands separating from his body too early. His fix is about body control and balance—keeping his hip back so he doesn't "drift" forward into the ball.

Blaze Jordan (path issue): Blaze’s issue is a flat swing path. His body mechanics are generally stable, but his bat simply travels on too horizontal a plane. His fix is a launch adjustment. Using some of the new tech Bloom has brought in to each level, slightly tilting his swing upward should turn his high exit velocities into extra-base hits and more home runs.

New organization

A major advantage for Blaze Jordan in 2026 is the organizational structure. When Walker was first struggling, the Cardinals had "silos" between the majors and minors with different coaching philosophies.

Under new Director of Hitting Dalton Hurd, Blaze is receiving a specific, data-driven, personalized plan that will stay the same across the entire system.

Unlike Walker, who reportedly received conflicting advice in the past, Blaze is working with a team (Hurd, Brock Hammit, and Howie Clark) that uses the same launch angle drills regardless of whether he is in St. Louis or Memphis.

Attitudes

The most important part of the process is how each player responds to change. 

Jordan Walker admitted what the coaches had already hinted at. “I’m sort of stubborn…” Walker said to MLB.com. “I mean, you grow up doing something, it’s super hard to change.”

Blaze Jordan is described as a coachable player who actively seeks out physical and mechanical adjustments. Unlike Walker, he has shown the willingness to stick with the process even if he isn’t seeing immediate results. 

With everyone wondering what difference Bloom can make, Blaze Jordan just might be the perfect benchmark in a couple of years. This is his guy, and he will develop in the Bloom system. We can guess that from Bloom’s history, Blaze won’t be rushed to the big leagues. 

This Jordan may be the perfect indicator of the success of this new regime.