Cardinals OF Facing Backlash; Blamed For St. Louis' Disastrous Year

Former Cardinals top prospect Jordan Walker has faced some backlash as his big-league struggles continue...

Sep 27, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) celebrates with teammates in the dugout after hitting a two-run home run against the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals were a disaster this year. They didn't add much of anything in the offseason, as they were expected to rebuild.

After contending for a few months, the Cardinals fell off and opted to sell at the trade deadline. A lot of their top players, especially Nolan Arenado, didn't perform up to expectations.

But there are a lot of players to blame for such a disastrous year in St. Louis.

J.T. Buchheit of Redbird Rants recently pushed some of the blame on former top prospect Jordan Walker. Walker was expected to take a massive step forward this year, but it's been much of the same struggles he's had for a few years now.

Jordan Walker under fire after Cardinals' disastrous year

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

"When it came to lists of the most important Cardinals in 2025, Jordan Walker was routinely at the top. After a year where he failed to live up to expectations, he was the face of the Cardinals' 'runway' season in 2025, where the team would supposedly give him as many opportunities as possible to find his footing," Buchheit wrote. "Prior to the season, Walker gushed about the Cardinals' new hitting coach, Brant Brown, saying that Brown had already been teaching Walker things that he had never heard before. The outlook seemed promising for the right fielder.

"Instead, Walker collapsed, holding a .217 average and a .581 OPS, and he has struck out 122 times in 350 at-bats. The slider low and away has consistently flummoxed him, as he's struggled to lay off of the pitch. In 2025, Walker holds a 33.9% chase rate, with the MLB average at 28.4%."

Walker is still young, so the book is open on him, despite his continued poor play at the big-league level.

But the Cardinals can't hold out hope forever.

After posted a -1 WAR across his first two seasons combined, Walker has outdone himself with a -1.6 WAR in 2025. He slashed .215/.278/.306 with an OPS below .600 on the year. His power numbers are down and he still doesn't get on base very often.

This is nothing like the player the Cardinals thought they'd be getting when they called him up. Although he's still young, they can't give him opportunities forever. At some point, he needs to crack into his potential, or he could be traded in the future.

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