Jordan Walker made history when Cardinals John Mozeliak learned to trust him

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker finally got some regular playing time late in the season. Walker struggled to start the 2024 season and was sent down to Triple-A Memphis. After his brief return to St. Louis, the Cardinals decided to play him in a pair. That didn’t work out either.

They say third time’s a charm, and it proved true for Walker. After placing Tommy Pham on the reserve list, the Cardinals had an open roster spot and regular rebounding for their former top prospect. With St. Louis five games out of the final NL Wild Card spot, they’re caught between contention and preparing for another postseason without Cardinals baseball.

Walker’s promotion suggested that John Mozeliak and company have their eye on 2025. However, he rewarded the Cardinals for their patience by recording five hits Sunday in New York against the Yankees. Some impressive hitting displays from Walker now could lead to wins while also providing the 22-year-old with important experience as he enters the next phase of his career in 2025.

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Walker became the youngest Cardinal to record five hits in a game since Rogers Hornsby in 1916. Hornsby was 20 at the time and eventually was accepted to Cooperstown. Not bad company.

“When I look back and see things like that, it reminds me how much fun this game is,” Walker said. “I enjoy playing it, and sometimes that (joy) is hard to find. But at the end of the day, I enjoy playing this game, and things like that help me remember that.”

It took until September, but the Cardinals found the right way to recruit one of their best young players. Walker, who is good friends with St. Louis shortstop Masyn Winn, could become a symbol of the next chapter of Cardinals baseball.

While there’s some debate about the merits of how we got to this point — Mozeliak and Oli Marmol have mismanaged Walker this season — the best players always find a way to overcome adversity. In this case, the adversity came from poor decisions in the front office and on the bench.