Jordan Walker went 3-for-4 with a three-run homer in the Cardinals’ series finale against Tampa Bay on Sunday. He finished the opening series hitting .400 with a .500 OBP and a .687 slugging percentage.
Finally.
After two years of watching Walker struggle at the plate — hitting .242 in limited action last year and spending half of 2024 in Triple-A — this was the first time since his rookie season that he looked like the middle-of-the-order bat Cardinals fans thought they were getting.
Last Word on Sports called the opening series a breakout for Walker, and they’re not wrong. Game 3 was the big one: he drove in three runs, looked comfortable in the box, and crushed a ball to center field like he knew it was gone before it left the bat.
But here’s the thing.
It’s three games. Walker’s had hot stretches before. In September of last year, he hit five homers in 27 games and Cardinals fans convinced themselves he’d turned a corner. Then spring training happened and the trade rumors started again.
This feels different, though. The approach looks better. He walked twice in the series — that might not sound like much, but Walker walked just 29 times in 111 games last year. He’s been chasing garbage his entire career. If he’s actually seeing the ball now, that changes everything.
The 6th inning has been CRAZY in Saint Louis!
After the Rays scored 6 runs in the top half, the Cardinals have put up an 8-spot and now have the lead thanks to an Alec Burleson homerpic.twitter.com/rem63XrgDg
— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) March 26, 2026
The Cardinals won the series 2-1, put up 22 runs in three games, and got production from guys who desperately needed to start hitting. Walker, Alec Burleson, Nolan Gorman — these are supposed to be the young core pieces. If they’re all hitting at once, this team isn’t as bad as everyone thinks.
Walker’s got a long way to go before we’re calling him a star. But for the first time since 2023, there’s a reason to believe he can be more than a guy who teases you in April and disappears by June.
Cards fans needed this. Walker needed this. Let’s see if it lasts past Easter.