The St. Louis Cardinals are on fire — charging into the weekend with seven straight wins and eyeing a sweep of the Washington Nationals. It’s a run no one saw coming from a team that entered the season with more questions than answers. Veterans are stepping up, the clubhouse is alive again, and the Cards suddenly look like a threat in the National League.
But not everyone is rising with the tide.
Right now, all eyes are on 22-year-old Jordan Walker — and not for the reasons Cardinals fans hoped. Once hailed as a franchise savior, Walker is struggling mightily. His numbers paint a bleak picture: a .531 OPS, just 22 hits, and a strikeout rate that nearly doubles that of his base knocks. It’s a far cry from the rookie promise he showed in 2023 when he looked like the next big thing in St. Louis.
Now, as the Cardinals look toward sustained success, Walker is looking over his shoulder.
Walker’s issues go beyond a cold bat. His defense remains subpar, and while his bat speed still ranks in the league’s elite, he’s chasing bad pitches and getting punished for it. The slugger has found himself in the bottom 10% of the league for expected slugging, making it hard for the coaching staff to justify his spot in the everyday lineup.
This was supposed to be the season he reasserted himself as a future cornerstone. Instead, he’s become the weakest link in a surging squad.
Insiders say a demotion to the bench — or even back to Triple-A — could be imminent if things don’t change fast. And with Jose Barrero swinging a hot bat and several other young players hungry for their shot, the Cardinals may be forced to make a tough call sooner than later.
Walker still has raw tools and franchise appeal, but this team is winning now — and sentimentality doesn’t win games. If the front office receives the right trade offer, even that possibility isn’t off the table.
For now, the message is clear: Jordan Walker is on the clock. The Cardinals are chasing a division crown. And patience — once abundant — is wearing thin.
