Cardinals Prospect Jordan Walker Has a Big-Time Bat (and a Very Strong Arm)

Jordan Walker is no. 8 on our Top 100 thanks largely to his bat. As our lead prospect analyst Eric Longenhagen wrote in July, the 6-foot-5, 220-pound St. Louis Cardinals outfield prospect “is one of the most exciting young hitters in the minors, with elite power potential and superlative on-paper performance at Double-A while he’s still not old enough to have a beer.” At season’s end, the 20-year-old Stone Mountain, Georgia native boasted a .306/.388/.510 slash line, with 19 home runs and a 128 wRC+.

His tool set also includes a plus arm, which this writer witnessed firsthand during an Arizona Fall League game. Fielding a ball deep in the right field corner, Walker gunned a strike to second base that had me harkening back to the days of Dwight Evans and Dave Parker. A throw I wasn’t on hand to see was arguably even more impressive. As MLB.com’s Jesse Borek reported in mid-October, Walker “cut the ball loose at 99.5 mph, a throw harder than any by a St. Louis Cardinals outfielder since Statcast began to keep track in 2015.”

Shortly after talking to Walker’s close friend and AZL teammate Masyn Winn — featured here at FanGraphs on Tuesday — I approached the organization’s top-rated prospect to talk about his two most eye-catching assets: his bat and his arm.

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David Laurila: Masyn Winn suggested that I ask you about your arm — more specifically, your “newfound arm.”

Jordan Walker: [Laughs] “Yeah, I’ve always wanted to throw the ball hard. Masyn and I always have competitions, and he beats me every time. Right now, his arm is better than mine. He’s not that big of a guy, but his arm is really impressive. The 100.5 [mph that he was clocked at from shortstop in the Futures Game] is definitely not his hardest throw, which might surprise some people. I feel like he’s been up to 103.”

Laurila: How strong is your arm?

Walker: “It’s pretty good. I mess with Masyn all the time, and again, I have to give it to him that his arm is better. Mine isn’t too far behind, though.”

Laurila: He obviously has a pitching background. What about you?

Walker: “I pitched a little bit in high school. I ran it up there — I was around 94 — but didn’t really have the command, or the pitch movement, that Masyn had.”

Laurila: Were any scouts interested in you as a pitcher?

Walker: “I was to going to be a two-way if I went to Duke, but that’s about it.”

Laurila: Tell me about yourself as a hitter.

Walker: “I feel like I’m a guy who hits the ball hard. That’s pretty much what it is, man. I don’t really focus on too much other than that, just driving the ball to where it’s pitched. If it’s outside, I want to drive it the other way. If it’s middle-middle, I want to drive it up the middle. If it’s inside, I want to react and try to drive it into the left-center gap. That’s pretty much it. I keep it as simple as possible, not complicating too much stuff.”

Laurila: Has that always been the case?

Walker: “Pretty much. The simpler I keep it, the better it is. Obviously, at some points… everybody gets pull-happy and tries to yank it down the line and hit home runs. That happens to every hitter. But the main focus when I’m hitting is definitely to drive it into the gaps, and where it’s pitched.”

Laurila: If I compared video of you in your draft year to now, would I see the same hitter?

Walker: “Oh no, not at all. Our hitting coordinators, Russ Steinhorn and Daniel Nicolaisen, have really worked with me, getting me away from… I was really closed off and would turn in a lot. I couldn’t see the ball from where I was loading in, and they’ve helped me with that. They had me open up a little bit more, and also stay through the ball — not lunging as much. It’s still a process, obviously. But the work they’ve put in with me has been really great.”

Laurila: Have there been any adjustments, even subtle ones, as recently as this year?

Walker: “Yeah. I closed off my foot a little bit, to help me drive the ball the other way better. That’s pretty much it.”

Laurila: Was that self-driven, or was it prompted by a hitting coach or coordinator?

Walker: “There’s constant communication, and from teammates, too. Their input is really valuable, man. They see you from a side view all the time. Whenever I get the chance, I’ll talk to somebody on my team, whether it’s [Arizona Fall League teammate and fellow Cardinals prospect] Pedro [Pages], or Chandler Redmond or Chase Pinder from the Springfield Cardinals. They’re really helpful with what I’m doing. Mike Antico, too. They’ll look at my swing, and I might make adjustments based off of that.”

Laurila: Outside of more reps, what is the next step to getting better?

Walker: “I feel like it’s mostly just more reps at the plate. I’m getting more and more comfortable in the outfield, too. I feel like more reps is going to make me the elite outfielder I want to be.”

Laurila: An outfielder with a strong arm…

Walker: “It’s pretty good, man. Maybe not quite as good as Masyn’s, but pretty good.”