Ranking the Cardinals' 10 most important young players for their future

#1 - Jordan Walker

Could it be anyone else? At just age 20, Jordan Walker made the Cardinals' Opening Day roster and slashed .274/.321/.397 with 2 HR and 11 RBI during his first 78 Major League at-bats. Walker looked unafraid at the plate and has the shoulder to bear the expectations placed upon him.

Like any 20-year-old, Walker still had parts of his game to work on, leading to a demotion recently that should not last long. He was hitting ground balls at an above-league-average rate, something that the Cardinals' brass wants him to fix as it takes when from his slugging potential.

Walker also struggled a lot defensively in the outfield, something that will improve with time as he is still transitioning out there.

But overall, Walker has continued to impress the Cardinals' front office, coaching staff, players, and National media, showing all the tools and personality of someone who could be the face of the Cardinals for a very long time. His ability to hit for both contact and power, run with the fastest players in baseball, and play the game with the wisdom of someone well beyond his years is just special.

Walker is clearly untouchable and will be a major part of the Cardinals' core moving forward. The Cardinals are deep with young pieces for their emerging core, and Walker is clearly the crown jewel of this organization moving forward.