Latest All-Star week honor is another feather in Jordan Walker's Cardinals cap

The All-Star Break is right around the corner, and while many players will be using the extra time off for some much-needed rest, Jordan Walker is adding another event to his calendar. Just after being added to the National League All-Star Game roster, the outfielder announced that he will be participating in the Home Run Derby on Monday in Philadelphia.

The All-Star week festivities kick off right after the weekend series against the Braves. Walker will head to Philadelphia quickly after Sunday's game to prepare for a busy week in the City of Brotherly Love. Walker's week will start with the Home Run Derby on Monday night with the All-Star Game taking place on Tuesday. Everyone will have the rest of the week off before kicking off the unofficial second half of the season on Friday.

Cardinals Jordan Walker will put on a exit velocity show in Monday's Home Run Derby

After fan voting left one of the best outfielders in all of baseball off of the starting lineup for Tuesday's game, Walker was selected onto the National League roster in the next phase of the selection process. While it would be nice to see him and closer Riley O'Brien taking the field among the other deserving stars, there is no guarantee either of them will be in the game. The All-Star game no longer determines home field advantage, but is still the best All-Star game in pro sports, with the other leagues failing to find ways to get more fans involved in an exhibition contest.

The Home Run Derby, though, will always be a spectacle even as the event continues to tweak the rules for the most fun environment. In Walker's first time in the derby, the outfielder will compete against former teammate Willson Contreras, Ben Rice, Jac Caglianone, and Junior Caminero before the rest of the field is announced. So far in 2026, Walker has left the yard a career-high 21 times, good for fifth in the NL, and he leads the league with 70 RBI.

Some fans have been skeptical of Walker participating in the game, wishing for him to stay with his swing that has helped him find success this season. There is not much research to prove that players who compete in the derby slump in the second half, but there is always a conversation if the home run swings will mess with a game swing. For Walker, though, the issue with his launch angle was that he was hitting too many ground balls. With his newfound home run success, maybe the derby could even give him a couple more degrees of launch, meaning more homers could come in the second half.

The Home Run Derby begins on Monday at 7pm central and Walker looks to be the Cardinals' first derby winner. Unfortunately, the event will streamed exclusively on Netflix. The All-Star Game begins at 7pm central on Tuesday and will thankfully be seen on Fox.

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