Cardinals Star Jordan Walker Was Reportedly Nearly Left Off Roster To Open Season

The St. Louis Cardinals star outfielder has had a resurgent season, earning his first All-Star selection in his 4-year career, and will even be competing in this year's Home Run Derby.

It likely hasn't been talked about enough how important it was for Walker to experience a breakout season after how much he struggled at the plate last year. The 24-year-old outfielder slashed .215/.278/.306 last season with only six home runs and 41 runs batted in across 111 games, and those struggles continued into spring training this year.

Walker entered the majors with massive expectations and was solid as a rookie. His regression over the past two seasons led Cardinals fans to question whether the young outfielder should even be in the big leagues. Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reported that the Cardinals even had conversations this spring about whether or not Walker would make the team to open the season after his struggles.

"I asked Oli Marmol over the weekend in Chicago if there were conversations in spring about Walker not making the team, starting the season in Memphis," Jones reported in a post to X on Wednesday. "He said there were, but he couldn’t be convinced that it was the best thing for Jordan, mentally."

Walker has been the driving force of the Cardinals' offense this season

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker — Jul 1, 2026; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) hits a single to drive in a run against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Not taking the drastic measure of having Walker open the season in Triple-A has by far been the best decision St. Louis has made this season. It would have been a reasonable decision given his struggles, but the 24-year-old slugger has completely turned his career around with a bounce-back performance this year, slashing .294/.355/.534 with 21 home runs and a league-leading 70 runs batted in.

The All-Star outfielder has completely changed the trajectory of the Cardinals, who were supposed to be in the middle of a rebuild this season after selling off multiple stars during the offseason, including Sonny Gray. Now, the team is right in the middle of the playoff race as players like Walker continue to step up.

St. Louis' rebuild likely kept the team from sending Walker down to the minor leagues, as development was prioritized this year. That gamble is paying off incredibly for the Cardinals, who are only a couple of games out from securing the final wild-card playoff spot.

Without Walker leading St. Louis' offense, this season could have gone completely different. It will be interesting to see how the Cardinals handle the impending trade deadline now, given how well the team has performed this season.

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