3 St. Louis Cardinals prospects turning heads in Spring Training

Feb 23, 2023; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tink Hence (95) poses for a portrait
Feb 23, 2023; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Tink Hence (95) poses for a portrait / Jim Rassol-USA TODAY Sports
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Jordan Walker

To the surprise of virtually nobody, Walker has been turning heads (and then some!) so far in Spring Training.

The 20-year-old is the top prospect for the Cardinals and has reached all the way up to the No. 4 spot in the top-100 rankings list posted by MLB.com.

Walker is an absolute beast at the plate, standing 6-foot-5 and using every single bit of that frame to his advantage. Last season in 119 games for the Double-A Springfield Cardinals, he hit 31 doubles and 19 home runs, drove in 68 runs, stole 22 bases, and finished the year with a .306 average and 128 wRC+.

Someone of Walker's age usually doesn't get much consideration for a spot on the Opening Day roster, especially not for a team firmly in its contention window like the Cardinals. However, Walker is doing everything right and seems to be heading for a spot on the big league roster.

As a matter of fact, FanGraphs' Roster Resource currently has him penciled into the everyday role as the club's designated hitter.

Any questions about Walker's ability to hit big league-caliber pitching have been thrown out the window in Spring Training. He has made 16 appearances and is 18-for-53 (.340 average) with five doubles, three home runs, nine runs batted in, and two stolen bases. Consider our heads turned.