Cardinals: Jordan Walker draws comparisons to Fernando Tatis Jr. following big game

Following an explosive game on Sunday, Jordan Walker was driving comparisons to Fernando Tatis Jr.

After an offseason full of hype and anticipation, the St. Louis Cardinals have unleashed top prospect Jordan Walker to prove he has what it takes to make the Opening Day roster. Based on the results so far, he looks like a man on a mission in 2023.

In his second game of Spring Training action (and first start), Walker went 2-4 with a home run in 3 RBIs in the 8-2 win over the Miami Marlins. Walker's blast was a missile off the bat, traveling 430 feet at 108.9 MPH.

After the game, Marlins manager and former Cardinals' bench coach Skip Schumaker went as far as to compare Walker to Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. (quote from John Denton's story on MLB.com).

"“For me, [Fernando] Tatis [Jr.] was the most exciting prospect in San Diego and then I saw Jordan Walker, and that’s pretty dang close to it … the next Tatis. He does everything the right way and he’s a really good kid. He shakes your hand the right way, talks the right way. He's a special human being. He’s about as exciting a position player as I've seen in my coaching career, so I wasn’t surprised when I see him continuing to look like that. It's a real bat.""

- Skip Schumaker

Not only did Walker make noise with his bat, but he also showed fans how he's a five-tool player, beating out a groundball for an infield single in his second at-bat. Walker's raw talent and skills continue to translate into game-changing plays at every level of baseball, which is easy to see why he would draw comparisons to someone like Tatis Jr.

Should Walker continue this kind of performance throughout Spring Training, I do not see how he would not start Opening Day for the club. The guy just has way too much talent to stick in Triple-A Memphis, and I hope he gets every opportunity to prove that this spring.