Cardinals’ Jordan Walker Is Chasing Albert Pujols-Like Numbers

It's hard not to be extremely excited about St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker.

He came out of the gate hot to kick off the 2026 season. Initially, there were many wondering if he could sustain it. On May 17, he certainly still looks like a budding superstar. Walker has played in 45 games so far this season and is slashing .301/.371/.584 with 13 homers, 34 RBIs, 19 walks, 10 doubles and 34 runs scored.

Walker already is at 3.1 wins above replacement. That's tied for the league lead with Bobby Witt Jr., Davis Martin and Andy Pages.

He has been incredible, to say the least. If he can keep up his current red-hot pace, he's actually on pace to be the first member of the Cardinals to smash 40 or more homers in a season since Albert Pujols back in 2010, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The Cardinals Slugger Is Having An Excellent Season

May 15, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) hits a single against the Kansas City Royals during the second inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

"Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker, who has never hit more than 16 homers in a season, already has 13 and is on pace to hit 45," Nightengale wrote. "How rare of a feat is that for the Cardinals? The Cardinals have had only five players hit 40 homers in a season. The last Cardinal to hit 40 homers was Albert Pujols in 2010."

That's wild. That season, Pujols led the league with 42 homers and 118 RBIs. He also slashed .312/.414/.596 in 159 games played. Right now, Walker is on pace for a fairly similar season. That's the perfect way to show how well the 23-year-old is playing. If you can find yourself on pace to do anything that Pujols did, that's typically a very good sign.

The Cardinals are 27-19 on the season so far and are tied for second place in the National League Central with the Milwaukee Brewers, just 1 1/2 games behind the Chicago Cubs. Walker arguably is the biggest reason why. The Cardinals have had success because the club is clicking all over the place, but Walker looks like a legit National League Most Valuable Player candidate. If he can keep playing like this, he'll at least get votes later on in the campaign.

Cardinals fans should be very happy in general. The club is winning games at a much higher clip than many expected and we're seeing tangible steps forward from the young guys on the roster. If they can maintain the momentum, this roster could be a real threat in the National League for years to come.

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