Cardinals' Slugger Jordan Walker to Bring Comeback Story, Power to MLB Home Run Derby
Cardinals' slugger Jordan Walker, who is in the midst of one of the best comeback stories in baseball in decades, will be participating in MLB's Home Run Derby on Monday in Philadelphia. Walker has 21 homers and an MLB-best 70 RBI this season.
Video Transcript
Maybe it's only fitting that Netflix, a streaming service that knows a thing or two about comeback stories and drama, trials and tribulation, they're gonna be s- they're gonna be televising the MLB Home Run Derby for the first time ever.
And that's a good thing because the best comeback story in all of sports right now is Jordan Walker.
MLB announced today that Walker, 24 years old, one of the best comeback stories in all of sports, he'll be participating in Monday night's Home Run Derby from Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia.
It's gonna be, fascinating to watch the 6'6", 250-pound Walker, crush baseballs at the Home Run Derby.
He has had After all, he has had a tremendous season.
as of tonight, he is MLB's leader in RBI with 70, b- becoming the first Cardinal since Albert Pujols to have 70 RBI before the All-Star Break, and, and shoot, Jordan still has four more games, so he, he could bump that total up much, much higher.
I'm John Denton with Roundtable Sports.
Walker was announced, in the Home Run Derby, on Thursday.
He'll be participating for the first time.
He'll also be there as an All-Star for the first time.
I mean, his story is unbelievable.
thir- you know, called up to the big leagues at the raw age of 20 years old.
He had hits in his first 12 games, and then struggled.
got sent to the minors.
2024, even worse.
s- big time struggle.
Spent most of that season in the minor leagues.
'25, some good, some bad.
Had him struggled with an appendicitis.
Got sent down again.
and then 2026, he just took off.
he is one of the best comeback stories in all of baseball right now.
Here he is at the All-Star Break, hitting 294, on base percentage of 355, slugging 534, OPS 889.
All four of those categories would be a career high.
he's got 21 home runs.
That's already the most he's ever hit in baseball.
He's got 70 RBI.
That's already the most he's ever had.
Walker has 19 doubles already.
That's ti- that's already tied what he did in 2023 as a rookie.
Here, here's a g- here's a good number for you.
Walker's OPS+ is 147.
That means he's 47% better than the average Major League Baseball player.
If you took 2025 and 2024 combined, they wouldn't be as good as he is this year.
he was 72 ranking in 2025, 66 ranking in 2024.
He was a 113, OPS+ player as his rookie year.
A- and I think he, that rookie year often gets overlooked, because he was pretty good that year with 16 home runs.
him getting sent down as a rookie, I think was more about the Cardinals having a logjam in the outfield than it was Jordan doing anything wrong.
But this season, he's keeping the ball off the ground.
He's hitting the ball, in the air more.
He's up closer to the plate.
His feet are a little bit closer together.
He's a little more square and not so much open.
he's laying off those sliders on the outside corner for the most part.
His p- pitch selection is so much better.
I mean, give Brant Brown and, and Brendan Allen and Casey Chenowith, the Cardinals hitting coaches, a lot of credit.
They finally helped him simplify his approach, see ball, hit ball.
Jordan has talked, you know, over and over and over.
He doesn't wanna be a thinker when he's in the box.
He, he just wants to be athletic.
And after all, let's let him be athletic because the guy is built like an NFL tight end.
He's 6'6", 250.
He looks like he was created in a lab somewhere to, to play this game.
So it's gonna be interesting to watch Jordan.
He's gonna face Jack Cag Leone.
former Cardinal Wilson Contreras is gonna be in the Home Run Derby.
Junior Caminero, one of the best home run hitters in all of baseball.
Ben Rice, who's had a breakout year with the Yankees.
There's gonna be some good competition, but, it would be hard for anybody out there looking to put a dollar down somewhere, it'd be hard to bet against Jordan Walker, who is the best com- comeback story in all of baseball right now.
I'm John Denton with Roundtable Sports.
