In the midst of a breakout season, Jordan Walker is the St. Louis Cardinals nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award. Walker is on pace to hit 30 home runs and steal 20 bases, has won the Home Run Derby, and is solidifying himself as a superstar in the Cardinals lineup.
Aside from his performance on the field, Walker has been making an impact off the field. “I want to be a role model for the black kids,” Walker said after his Home Run Derby win. “I want more black kids in baseball.” Becoming that role model is important for Walker, and his nomination is an expression of the Cardinals’ belief in that.
Jordan Walker’s Philanthropic Impact
Walker and his mother are the co-founders of the Walker’s Winners Foundation, a charity dedicated to helping students set and achieve goals.
The foundation is an important part of Walker’s mission, as just days before his Home Run Derby win, he spent the day with Lifewise STL, his third year visiting. Lifewise STL is dedicated to helping young scholars realize and achieve their full potential. Walker’s Winners is in a similar lane, and the two come together to support each other often.
Walker has made an impact on and off the field this season with the Cardinals and the city of St. Louis. He will now have the chance to become the seventh Cardinals player to win the Roberto Clemente Award.
St. Louis Cardinals Past Winners and Nominees
Last season, the Cardinals nominated Brendan Donovan for the Roberto Clemente Award. Although he did not win the award, the Cardinals have six past winners of the Award since its creation in 1971.
The first winner to wear the birds on the bat was National Baseball Hall of Famer Lou Brock, who was honored in 1975. Brock was the first of the record six winners who have come from the Cardinals organization.
Ozzie Smith was next in 1995, and since then the Cardinals have had four winners in the 21st century. Probably the greatest trio of Cardinals in the last 25 years have all won the award as well. Albert Pujols (2008), Yadier Molina (2018), and Adam Wainwright (2020) have all been honored as Roberto Clemente Award winners.
The final Cardinal to receive the distinctive honor was Carlos Beltran in 2013. His time in St. Louis was short-lived. Beltran made a big impact in the community.
St. Louis holds the aforementioned record for most recipients, and the next closest teams are the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Boston Red Sox with five winners each. If Walker were to win the award this season, he would put a cherry on top of an already astounding season of his career.
Cardinals Nominate Jordan Walker For Roberto Clemente Award