最新杏吧原创

The fear 鈥� with all due respect to Dylan Carlson 鈥� is that Jordan Walker becomes Dylan Carlson.

Of course, there鈥檚 still some time for Carlson, 25, to become a productive major leaguer (be it in 最新杏吧原创 or, as the trend has recently gone, in another city). But to this point, Carlson is the prototype of an elite Cardinals outfield prospect who underachieved in the majors.

Some forget just how big a prospect Carlson was. The swatting switch-hitter debuted in 2020 鈥� had a big postseason game, too, that pandemic season 鈥� and then tallied a .780 on-base plus slugging percentage in 2021, the year he finished third in the voting for National League Rookie of the Year.

Then came some bad injuries and bad splits. His career OPS is now .717. And he鈥檚 injured yet again.

Man, if you had asked me in 2020 where Carlson would be as a player by 2024, I would鈥檝e said: multitime All-Star.

Which leads us to Walker, who turns 22 on May 22. The prodigious youngster was baseball鈥檚 top hitting prospect heading into 2023.

He was sent down around this time last season because he was hitting too many grounders. Well, on Wednesday, he was sent down this season because he鈥檚 hitting too many grounders.

How did we get to this point, Cardinals?

I mentioned hitting coach Turner Ward in a previous column. He鈥檚 overseeing this. And even after Wednesday鈥檚 5-1 win, the Cardinals (11-14) have the fewest homers in the National League and the second-lowest batting average. Walker鈥檚 regression is a problem, but it鈥檚 clearly not the only problem in the 最新杏吧原创 lineup. On the job, Ward and his staff must improve their ability to communicate to their players, to unlock their players and to enhance their players.

Walker, of course, is a key player. In some ways, Walker is the epitome of what鈥檚 gone wrong with the 2024 Cardinals: He was supposed to be a standout hitter for the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals, and now, he鈥檚 not even a member of the 最新杏吧原创 Cardinals.

With a .155 batting average, no homers and a .498 OPS, Walker was sent down to Class AAA Memphis before Wednesday鈥檚 game.

鈥淚t鈥檚 not something you want, not something anybody wants for him,鈥� Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said. 鈥淏ut the situation does call for it.鈥�

Last year, the strategic demotion worked. Walker came back hitting balls off the ground. And from his June 2 return until the end of the year, he hit .277, and his OPS was .802. Maybe this is the good kind of deja vu? A lot of it will be how Walker handles the humbling 鈥� and how Walker handles the homework. He鈥檚 a caring player and a caring person, so here鈥檚 thinking it鈥檒l work out. But it鈥檚 sure frustrating 鈥� for everyone 鈥� that it got to this point in the first place.

鈥淥bviously, that鈥檚 my guy,鈥� Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn said of his close friend, Walker. 鈥淏ut he鈥檚 got some little things to work on, and he knows it. And he didn鈥檛 go down there pouting or anything. He went down there ready to go to work. Hoping to see him up here real soon again 鈥� just get back to work, getting back to Jordan Walker.鈥�

Walker must work on pitch recognition 鈥� and, thus, laying off low and outside pitches. He must get better at hitting breaking balls in the zone. He must hit more line drives. He鈥檚 got the tools. And he鈥檚 got the brain. This is achievable stuff. Optimism remains high.

But Carlson looms, literally and figuratively.

Carlson could return to the outfield mix in early May. Remember, he did have an inspiring spring before Walker accidentally ran into him in the outfield.

And the story of Carlson鈥檚 career underachievement hovers above Walker, the Cardinals coaches and the front office.

Simply put, Walker is a can鈥檛-miss prospect. So they better hit with him (meaning he better hit better).

鈥淚t鈥檚 a hard game, and there are constant adjustments,鈥� Marmol said. 鈥淎nd then you also know that the league is going to try to expose his weaknesses, so you try to address those 鈥� but it鈥檚 an environment that鈥檚 tough to make swing adjustments at. It鈥檚 one thing to make pitch selection and pitch recognition adjustments at this level and just lay off. But when you鈥檙e trying to do that and also (your) swing is not where it needs to be 鈥� that makes it a little bit more difficult, especially at his (young) age. So it makes the most sense for Jordan at the moment to get those reps in a lower-stakes environment, it really does.鈥�

Sometimes, we forget how young Walker is. He鈥檚 currently 21. And for every Juan Soto, there are other super-young players who only show glimpses of domination before they can legally drink. But if a guy is in the majors, he must produce like a major leaguer. And Walker鈥檚 .498 OPS with a bunch of ground balls, regardless of how hard they were hit, isn鈥檛 going to cut it.

Third baseman Nolan Arenado struggled earlier this year, and he鈥檚 now found his stroke. Hitting worse than .200, Nolan Gorman started clicking this past series, launching rocket after rocket. Maybe Walker is the next big name to get going for the Cardinals. But first, it鈥檒l have to happen for the Redbirds.

鈥淲alk is a great kid, man 鈥� it鈥檚 sad to see him go,鈥� Arenado said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know until I got here (Wednesday morning) that I realized what happened. It stinks. You don鈥檛 want to see people get sent down and he鈥檚 been working in the cage and he鈥檚 trying to figure it out. And it鈥檚 unfortunate the work hasn鈥檛 paid off in the game yet. That鈥檚 kind of been everybody so far this year. We鈥檒l miss him; I know he鈥檒l get right and we need him.

鈥淚f there鈥檚 one message 鈥� I don鈥檛 know what they told them 鈥� but if there鈥檚 one message we can send him is that we need him. And hopefully he gets right and we can make a good run.鈥�