Jordan Walker's Hot Start Putting Cardinals On the Map

Jordan Walker has been crushing it this year.

May 2, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) rounds the bases after hitting a two-run home run against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals continue to defy their preseason expectations. They were not expected to do well after trading Sonny Gray, Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan, but they have found ways to win despite those losses.

The biggest difference this season has been the emergence of Jordan Walker, a former top prospect who struggled in 2024 and 2025 and even had the patience of fans wearing thin. However, he is off to a red-hot start and is putting the Cardinals on the map despite their rebuild.

In fact, Grant Brisbee of The Athletic is high on him, and believes that he is one big reason for people to believe in the Cardinals.

Jordan Walker Guiding Cards Back to Relevance

May 7, 2026; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) points out to third base after scoring during the seventh inning against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images | Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

"They did their best not to overreact to his growing pains, keeping him in the majors last season even as his OPS sank under .600. It takes patience to stick with that plan," Brisbee wrote.

"But it takes a competent front office and coaching staff to understand which struggling talents deserve that kind of attention. It looks like they nailed it with Walker, who is somehow hitting better in May than he did in his breakout April. The 23-year-old is still the same age as a lot of prospects who get to make their debuts without being under a microscope. It took a circuitous route to get here, but every part of the story speaks well about what the Cardinals are trying to build."

Perhaps the change in leadership could be helping Walker and the Cardinals. Chaim Bloom brought fresh ideas to the table and a different way of getting things done. But it's clear that something is working for Walker, as he finally appears to be the player the Cardinals were expecting him to be.

Sometimes, it just takes a little patience. But if Walker were struggling this year, the Cardinals likely would not be playing quite as well, especially after the departures of key veterans. Those trades allowed Walker and other young players more playing time and took away the risk of them being sent down to the minors.

Walker has not only embraced that but has also become a leader on the team offensively, which is helping them perform a lot better than expected. Walker is putting the Cardinals back on the map after a few rough years, and it should be interesting to see what he can do and how it pertains to what the Cardinals are working towards.