The St. Louis Cardinals are starting to struggle a little bit this season, but they got good news when it was announced that Jordan Walker would be competing in this year’s Home Run Derby. He is one of two Cardinals who has been selected to the All-Star game, along with closer Riley O’Brien.
Walker is the first Cardinal since Albert Pujols to take part in the derby. He had struggled over the past two seasons and hadn’t quite turned into the player the Cardinals were hoping he would, but has finally become a star this season.
However, after the news of him joining the Derby field was announced, Jeff Jones revealed an important conversation he had with manager Oli Marmol about Walker’s status with the team going into 2026 and how things could have been completely different.
“I asked Oli Marmol over the weekend in Chicago if there were conversations in spring about Walker not making the team, starting the season in Memphis. He said there were, but he couldn’t be convinced that it was the best thing for Jordan, mentally,” Jones reported.
St. Louis Cardinals Considered Drastic Measure With Jordan Walker
The fact that the Cardinals were considering not having Walker on the roster to start the season is quite surprising given where things are now with the young right fielder. He hit his 21st home run of the season during Tuesday’s doubleheader and is slashing .294/.355/.534 with an .889 OPS.
It is important to remember that the Cardinals are supposed to be rebuilding this year, and that is likely what led to him not being left off the roster. But he did struggle in spring training and was even benched for a time.
He had struggled quite badly over the past two seasons, and the Cardinals had plenty of other options to choose from. Ultimately, the Cardinals knew that the top priority this season wasn’t going to be winning ballgames, and instead, the focus would be on development.
That may have been the deciding factor in the decision to keep him on the roster. The Cardinals wanted to see what they had in Walker before giving up on him, and ultimately, their gamble is paying off. He has been the centerpiece of the Cardinals’ offense all season long, and the Cardinals are going to need him to stay hot at the plate in the second half if they want to continue exceeding expectations.
St. Louis Cardinals Made the Right Choice With Jordan Walker
The Cardinals offense might be in a much different place without Walker. Though they have struggled in that regard lately, Walker has stayed hot at the plate and has made adjustments throughout the year.
And so, he is proving that they made the correct choice not to pull the plug on him, because now, he is one of the top run producers in Major League Baseball. The Cardinals will hope to see more of that in the second half as they look to keep their heads above water and potentially snatch a wild card spot.
Cardinals Almost Made Tough Jordan Walker Decision Before Season