As Opening Day approaches, teams across the league are finalizing their 26-man rosters. For the St. Louis Cardinals, this period marks a potential shift in direction. After back-to-back seasons missing the playoffs and with president John Mozeliak taking a passive approach in his final offseason, 2025 appears to be a retooling year—an opportunity to move on from underperforming players and allow younger talent to prove themselves.
In some areas, this transition is already evident. For instance, St. Louis has committed to former top prospect Victor Scott II as their Opening Day center fielder, despite his struggles in his initial Major League stint. However, while the team is willing to take risks on young players in certain positions for the sake of future development, they remain stuck in their usual pattern when it comes to arguably the most crucial player on the roster.
Maybe it’s an exaggeration, but it genuinely feels like outfielder Jordan Walker holds the key to the Cardinals’ future. Not long ago, he was considered one of the top prospects in baseball—one who proved he could handle the big leagues by slashing .276/.342/.445 over 117 games as a rookie. The Cardinals still have a solid core of talented players, but they lack a true franchise star to build around as veterans like Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras move toward the latter stages of their careers. Walker remains their best hope of becoming that centerpiece.
That’s why it’s so frustrating to see the team mishandle him over the past couple of seasons. Yes, Walker struggled significantly at the plate last year, with his numbers plummeting across the board. But the organization didn’t do him any favors—bouncing him between Triple-A and the majors without a clear development plan and even reducing his playing time despite initially committing to him as an everyday starter.
This season, more than any other, should be the time to give Walker every opportunity to establish himself. Yet, it’s unclear whether that will happen. The team’s fourth outfielder appears to be Michael Siani, a glove-first player with little offensive upside but a favorite of manager Oli Marmol due to his elite defense. While Walker is locked into the starting lineup, Siani’s presence gives Marmol an easy excuse to pull him late in games for defensive purposes—costing Walker valuable reps in the field and, more importantly, crucial late-game at-bats that could help rebuild his confidence.
That kind of short-term thinking would be a mistake. Walker’s defense in right field may be shaky now, but it will only improve with experience. More importantly, limiting his plate appearances in high-leverage situations is a counterproductive way to develop a hitter the team desperately needs to become a star.
Maybe this concern is premature, and the Cardinals will finally commit to giving Walker the time he needs to grow. But given their track record, it’s hard to shake the feeling that history is about to repeat itself—and Cardinals fans won’t like the outcome.
Leave a Reply