Cardinals Phenom Garners Praise From Management On Road Back To Big Leagues
![Apr 6, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) scores on a throwing error by Miami Marlins starting pitcher Trevor Rogers (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports Apr 6, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) scores on a throwing error by Miami Marlins starting pitcher Trevor Rogers (not pictured) during the fourth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_7299,h_4105,x_0,y_478/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/ImagnImages/mmsport/inside_the_cardinals/01j518fjyxv4wx1k0d62.jpg)
The St. Louis Cardinals have a young core of position players to lead the organization into the future but there's still plenty of development that needs to take place.
For instance, Cardinals No. 3 top prospect Victor Scott II was demoted earlier in the season shortly after making his debut. After working on his swing in the minors with Triple-A Memphis, the speedy outfielder has looked much more confident on his second chance at the show.
Another Cardinals rising star is hoping for the same thing to happen to him when he's recalled to play for St. Louis. Judging by the words of Triple-A manager Ben Johnson, it could be just a matter of time before that happens.
"'He's (Jordan Walker) trusting it, and we're starting to see results,' Johnson said," The Commercial Appeal's Jonah Dylan reported Friday. "'There's still room to grow there, and we really like what we've seen over the last few weeks from Jordan. He's playing hard, he's playing well and his defense has improved, too. We're really happy with Jordan right now.'"
Walker is batting .333 with six extra-base hits including two home runs, four RBIs and a 1.010 OPS throughout nine games played in Aug. for Triple-A Memphis.
It's worth noting that Walker was optioned to the minors earlier in the season after severely struggling at the plate, so although his Aug. stats are a small sample size, it's encouraging to see him finally hitting again.
After being passed over for promotion following Cardinals outfielder Michael Siani's recent oblique strain, Walker has seemingly stepped up his performance to another level.
The Cardinals are desperate for productive right-handed hitters as the lineup currently holds a .655 OPS against left-handed pitchers -- only the Chicago White Sox and Miami Marlins are below St. Louis in that category.
Hopefully, Walker will continue to produce on offense, allowing him to return to St. Louis just in time to make a late-season playoff push.
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