If Jordan Walker is for real, the St. Louis Cardinals are now World Series contenders

If the Jordan Walker we are seeing in Spring Training is who the club is getting this season, they can compete with anyone in baseball

The St. Louis Cardinals have question marks, mainly surrounding their starting pitching. But let's be honest, those questions become less daunting when you have as good of a lineup as they do. And if Jordan Walker's Spring Training is a sign of things to come, they have put themselves in the conversation with the best teams in baseball.

Yes, I get it, it's only Spring Training. And yes, there is no need to put that much pressure on a 20-year-old. The best part about this is that the Cardinals' are not expecting Walker to be 2023's Julio Rodriguez, nor do they need him to be. The Cardinals have plenty of outfield and lineup depth to be patient with Walker, but they are giving him every chance to establish himself as a superstar.

At the time of writing this, Walker is slashing .500/.500/1.167 with 3 HR, 3 2B, and 6 RBI in his first 18 ABs of Spring Training. Small sample size, of course, but every time this kid comes to the plate right now, it feels like something magical happens. In Saturday's game against the Nationals, Walker went 4-4 with 2 bombs, a double, and an infield single where he showed off his hustle and speed.

Just watch his highlights so far. The stadium roars, the dugouts watch in amazement, and everyone realizes they are watching something special. Just ask Marlins' manager Skip Schumaker, who said Walker reminds him of Fernando Tatis Jr. Yes, too many Cardinals' prospects have been overhyped, rushed, or expected too much of too early on. But Walker is different.

Here are each of the reasons I believe St. Louis is now a World Series contender if Walker is going to be a star this coming season.

#1 - The Cardinals' lineup is now easily the best in baseball

Around the league, the Cardinals have been touted for having one of the best lineups in the game, boasting high-upside players with a lineup of hitters one through nine in the order. The one "knock" that people sometimes give St. Louis is the lack of a "third or fourth" elite bat, but the emergence of Walker would end any of those concerns.

Sure, teams like the Padres, Phillies, Braves, and Mets can point to their own superstar trios, but none of them have the kind of lineup depth that St. Louis should have this year. On top of Walker, the Cardinals can rely on Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, and Willson Contreras to be consistent, middle-of-the-order bats all season long. Again, assuming Walker belongs as the third or fourth member of that group, that means the club still has the likes of Lars Nootbaar, Tyler O'Neill, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, Dylan Carlson, Juan Yepez, Tommy Edman, and more names who can mash or get on base up and down the order.

Let's say Walker is 80% the player Julio Rodriguez was last year, that's a .270/.335/.490 hitter with 25 HR, 70 RBI, and 20 SB that the Cardinals just added to the middle of their order. Adding that kind of player to the Seattle lineup made them a playoff team, and adding this kind of player to the Cardinals makes them a legit contender.

At this rate, I'm not sure where Walker would slot in on Opening Day, but should he continue his current onslaught, I see him eventually settling in as the Cardinals' two-hole hitter. Just look at how this lineup could stack up with this Jordan Walker ready to go.

1. 2B Brendan Donovan 2. LF Jordan Walker 3. 1B Paul Goldschmidt 4. 3B Nolan Arenado 5. C Willson Contreras 6. CF Tyler O'Neill 7. RF Lars Nootbaar 8. DH Nolan Gorman 9. SS Tommy Edman

Um. Yeah. How on earth do you pitch to that lineup? People around the league have been talking about Lars Nootbaar breaking out this season, and he could be the club's 7th hitter in their lineup. Nolan Gorman, Dylan Carlson, or Juan Yepez, depending on the matchup, could hit 8th. Tommy Edman, who may be a 40+ SB guy this year and is an above-league average hitter, will be the 9th hitter in their lineup. If injuries or slumps happen, Carlson, Yepez, Burleson, or even the likes of Moises Gomez or Masyn Winn could factor into this team.

Yes, starting pitching is a concern, and we'll get to that later, but Walker's emergence gives the Cardinals the kind of lineup that can win ball games in slugfests, and give even the best pitchers in baseball difficulties. Even if O'Neill, Gorman, Nootbaar, or some others don't have incredible seasons, this lineup is excellent. But odds are, multiple of these guys are about to go off as well.

About that starting pitching? Well, Walker just made it even easier for the Cardinals to go out and get that.

#2 - The Cardinals should have no reason to part with the talent necessary to get an ace with Jordan Walker's emergence

Although it would have been nice for the Cardinals to enter camp with a new front-line pitcher, I get the team being a bit hesitant to trade away their young talent before the 2023 season. If they had traded away guys who would go on to mash and then kept players who got injured or underperformed, their lineup would have gone from a strength to a problem.

If Walker is going to be great in 2023, then they don't really have to worry about that anymore. They can afford to part with multiple players from their young core, still have plenty of depth, and be set up for the future in a big way.

Two of Yepez, Burleson or Gorman will have to start the year in Triple-A assuming Walker makes the Opening Day roster. One of Carlson or O'Neill likely becomes a part-time player. Winn, Gomez, and names like Luken Baker and Mike Antico are also waiting in Memphis. The Cardinals don't have to make a trade, but they will be in the driver's seat for any player that becomes available.

One the Cardinals go out and grab that ace, whoever it is, they then have the pitching to matchup with other elite rotations, and a lineup that will be favored against every other order in the league. Could it get any better than that? Well actually, yes. With more young talent on the way, especially in the pitching department, this team could get even deeper in the next few months.