How the Cardinals' can save the development of each of their young bats

Jordan Walker

Work on launch angle and defense in Memphis, return to St. Louis once he's hitting more line drives and fly balls.

If the Cardinals were not struggling like they are right now, I wonder if Jordan Walker would still be in St. Louis figuring out his issue with hitting too many ground bats. For now, though, a quick trip to Memphis could be the best thing for him.

Obviously, his defense was really bad, and that is something he can continue to refine with Memphis. His defense will take some time to develop, so I actually don't think that should play a role in how long he is in Memphis.

Instead, it's all about the slugging for Walker. His average exit velocity, HardHit%, and xBA were all great this season, but his xSLG was only in the 36th percentile and his Barrel% was in the 46th percentile.

Walker has all the tools needed to do damage with the baseball consistently, and doing so would provide a huge boost for St. Louis. The singles are nice, but the rate he is hitting ground balls is far too high for the Cardinals' liking. Walker's second game in Triple-A seemed to show he's already making those adjustments.

Expect to see Walker back in St. Louis soon, and when he returns, to make a major impact on he Cardinals' lineup.