Sometimes you get knocked down before you reach the top. You’ve got to get back up.
With St. Louis struggling at 11-14 on the season, Cardinals’ outfielder Jordan Walker was sent back down to AAA on Wednesday to work on his pitch recognition and swing, according to MLB.com’s John Denton.
The Cardinals’ start to the season wasn’t favorable, but neither was Walker’s. In 20 games, Walker hit at a .155 batting average and has struck out 18 times — he also has yet to put one past the wall and has gone hitless through five games.
Just last season, the 6-foot-6 designated hitter had come onto the scene hot, being the No. 4 prospect on the pipeline and giving the Cardinals hope for the future.
Walker capitalized off of the opportunity in 2023, hitting 16 homers and finishing with a batting average of .276 in 117 contests.
Walker’s strides last season weren’t a big enough case to keep his spot in the majors as it seems he was caught in the mix.
Jordan Walker A Casualty Of Manager’s Hot Seat?
After going from 93 wins in 2022 to 71 in 2023, things already weren’t looking up for manager Oliver Marmol. In his third year on the team, Marmol’s seat has begun to warm up and it seems a move had to be made.
In his statement, Marmol said the decision was “thinking about what’s best for Jordan’s development,” as he told Denton.
While that may be true, a manager on the hot seat’s words can be taken with a grain of salt. At the end of the day, a manager who wants to prove he can win will aim to put his best performers on the field, and Walker hadn’t placed himself in that category in his current campaign.
With his aforementioned successful rookie season, Walker could’ve expected to be given a longer leash, but that leash is more like a keychain under Marmol. Regardless, the Cardinals are near the bottom of the NL in batting average, so one could question, who would do a better job than Walker?
Just The Beginning For Jordan “Sky” Walker
Look at the bright side. Being sent down isn’t the end of the road for Walker.
Just last season, Orioles pitcher Grayson Rodriguez was sent down amid early struggles. When he returned, he lit up batters and locked in his spot as one of Baltimore’s premier pitchers.
While Walker plays a different position, the logic is the same. Walker is just 21 years old and has plenty of time to develop his game, especially if he looks to contribute as a designated hitter — adding plenty of life to his career.
Matt Kemp’s Story Provides Hope For Jordan Walker
Even though Rodriguez’ story is nowhere near set in stone, former outfielder Matt Kemp provides a pot of hope for his fellow MLBbro.
Like Walker, Kemp started his major league career early and well but went through a slump not just in his rookie season, but the season that followed. Both times, Kemp was optioned to AAA, but in the second go-around, he turned things up and hit for a .329 batting average in 32 games to end the season.
Now, Kemp is a three-time MLB All-Star who accumulated 287 home runs and 1808 hits in his 15-year career. With that, Walker can look forward to a minor setback that can result in a major comeback.
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