Cardinals’ Hitting Coach let the world know that Jordan Walker lacks in the Work Ethic department
The St. Louis Cardinals believed they had a franchise cornerstone when they drafted Jordan Walker in the first round back in 2021. For a while, it looked like they were right. Walker broke through in 2023, forcing his way onto the Opening Day roster and turning in a strong rookie season — a .276 average with 16 home runs in just 117 games.
Since then, though, things haven’t gone according to plan. Walker’s production has dropped sharply. He hit just .201 in 2024 and is sitting at .220 this year, with only five home runs each season. For a player once touted as the next big thing in St. Louis, the numbers are hard to ignore.
Hitting coach Brant Brown thinks he knows why. Speaking on KMOX earlier this week, Brown suggested Walker’s struggles have less to do with mechanics and more to do with preparation.
Hitting well requires some prep work
“At some point he’s going to have to devote more focus on preparation,” Brown said. “It’s not just looking at the starter, but also being ready for the bullpen guys. The information is there. You don’t want to get surprised.”
Brown also said this isn’t just a Walker issue — the Cardinals as a team tend to “sell out” for certain pitches when things go bad. The difference is that Walker’s downturn has been magnified because of his status as a top prospect and a player the organization expected to build around.
The 23-year-old still has time to figure things out, and Brown insists the ceiling remains high. “When Jordan Walker is ready to be good, I feel like it’s going to be up to him,” he said. “We all know the potential. I don’t even think he knows the ceiling.”
For now, Walker’s in the middle of another slump — 0-for-15 with just one hit in his last 21 at-bats. He was out of the lineup Tuesday night against the A’s. The Cardinals are hoping this is just a bump in the road. Fans, however, are starting to wonder if one of the most hyped prospects in recent memory is headed down the wrong path.
