JUPITER, Fla. (KMOX) – A start to your professional baseball career doesn't get much better than what St. Louis Cardinals prospect Jordan Walker did.
The 18-year-old third baseman was batting third for the Single-A Palm Beach Cardinals on Opening Day this Tuesday. On the first pitch he saw in his first at bat, he hit a home run. He pulled the pitch high in the zone out to left field – at a notoriously power-suppressing Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium.
To make it even more impressive, the pitcher was working on a perfect inning after striking out the first two batters he faced.
Walker was selected at No. 21 overall by St. Louis in the 2020 MLB Draft. He was the 2019-20 Georgia Gatorade Baseball Player of the Year in a pandemic-shortened season last year. He's currently the No. 6 overall prospect in the Cardinals orgnaization.
"At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Walker generates leverage and has easy bat speed," states a scouting report on MLB.com. "The power potential is obvious, but the big frame creates a naturally long swing and there are questions about his ability to hit breaking balls. He has shown an ability to make adjustments, as well as a strong work ethic and willingness to learn, so he should hit enough to be able to produce the desired power numbers.
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