Evaluating the last 10 hyped prospect debuts for the St. Louis Cardinals

Over the last ten years, Cardinal fans have been treated to some strong prospects. Which of the prospects had great debuts and which struggled?

NLCS - San Francisco Giants v St Louis Cardinals - Game Two
NLCS - San Francisco Giants v St Louis Cardinals - Game Two | Dilip Vishwanat/GettyImages
10 of 11

Jordan Walker

Jordan Walker has been the most exciting prospect to come out of the Cardinals' system since Oscar Taveras. The 6-foot-5 right-handed batter has always had a highly-graded hit tool. He was most recently the 4th-ranked prospect per MLB at the beginning of the 2023 season. The Cardinals were aggressive in promoting him, as he skipped AAA entirely at the beginning of the season.

Walker debuted on Opening Day 2023 against the Toronto Blue Jays. He went 1-5 with a walk and an RBI single in that game. He then went on to hit in 12 straight games, setting records for rookies. His first home run came on April 5th against the Atlanta Braves.

Walker had a hot start but did take some time to adjust to major-league pitching. His defense also left a lot to be desired, as he was actively learning a position (right field) he had barely played before in his high school or minor league career. On the season, Walker is hitting .257/.325/.417 with 11 home runs and 34 RBI for an OPS+ of 102. The 21-year-old has the potential to be one of the best hitters in baseball in the near future.

Schedule