Cardinals 23-Year-Old Faces Uncertain Future In St. Louis Under Chaim Bloom

How much leash should Jordan Walker be given in 2026?

Sep 28, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) reacts after striking out against the Chicago Cubs during the ninth inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are Chaim Bloom's team now, and that means something different to everyone in the organization.

For the players, it doesn't necessarily matter whether Bloom was around for their successes. The new president of baseball operations is going to construct this roster however he thinks will best return it to playoff contention in the most sustainable fashion.

One player in particular will have to have his head on a swivel: outfielder Jordan Walker.

Walker not locked in as sustainable piece in St. Louis

Walker, 23, was once the top prospect in the Cardinals organization, if not all of baseball. He had a solid rookie campaign in 2023, though his defense in right field left plenty to be desired, but nearly everything has gone backward since the start of last season.

If Walker needed any more evidence that 2026 will be a make or break season, assuming Bloom and manager Oli Marmol give him the chance to get extensive playing time in the first place, the PBO's comments from last week's press conference should be a warning signal.

“The offseason is going to be the real test of trying to really cement (the adjustments) and have them be second nature. I don't know that the comfort level was ever fully there (in 2025)," Bloom said, per John Denton of MLB.com.

"I do think with this type of talent, this type of player, we are eventually going to see those results at the big-league level, for his sake. For our sake as an organization, we need that to happen soon.”

Simply put, Walker's 2025 season was a disaster. In 111 games, he hit .215 with six home runs and a .578 OPS, while continuing to play lackluster defense. That added up to negative-1.6 bWAR, an indicator that a player doesn't really belong in the big leagues.

At 6-foot-6, 250 pounds, Walker's physical gifts have always made him a tantalizing hitting prospect (especially if he can ever figure out how to consistently elevate the ball in the air. But the leash could very well be short assuming he breaks camp with the Cardinals in March.

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