Jordan Walker's Power Surge Has Him Running With Cardinals Royalty After 8th Homer
Jordan Walker is absolutely on fire right now, and the St. Louis Cardinals are noticing something special. The 23-year-old outfielder belted his MLB-leading eighth home run Monday night against the Cleveland Guardians, and that's not just a number. It's a statement that puts him in some seriously elite company in Cardinals history.
Walker Joins an Exclusive Club
With that 398-foot solo shot to lead off the sixth inning, Walker became the fifth player in Cardinals history to hit at least eight homers in the first 16 games of a season. Think about that for a second. He's now grouped with Stan Musial (1954), Mark McGwire (1998), Scott Rolen (2004), and Albert Pujols (2006). Those aren't just names. Those are legends.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at Kalshi"It means a lot, man," Walker said after the game. "I mean, those are the greats. So, you learn about those guys early on, as soon as you come into the Cardinals organization. So, you know, to be put with them is pretty special."
Here's what makes it even crazier: Walker and Pujols, who did this at age 21 back in 2001, are the only Cardinals to hit eight or more homers in March and April before turning 24. That's an incredibly rare accomplishment.
The Preparation Is Paying Off
This hot streak didn't come out of nowhere. Walker has now homered in three straight games and in seven of his last nine games. He's the first Cardinals player to do that since Paul Goldschmidt back in 2022. It's a remarkable turnaround considering his track record. Over the previous two seasons combined, he had just 11 total home runs in 527 at bats.
Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol sees what's changed. "Just the work and the preparation is key, and he's benefiting a ton from that right now, an absolute ton," Marmol said. "You can just see the calmness when he's taking his at bats. When you're prepared for the test, man, it's a lot easier to go up there and trust it."
The loss to Cleveland dropped St. Louis to 8-8, but Walker's individual performance is something the organization can build on. This is exactly the kind of early-season momentum that matters.
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