Cards prospect Jordan Walker talks hitting, '22 goals

JUPITER, Fla. -- Jordan Walker is coming off one of the best debut seasons by a player from the 2020 Draft class. The Cardinals slugger hit .317/.388/.548 with 14 homers over 82 games between Low-A Palm Beach and High-A Peoria in 2021. His 151 wRC+ was second-best among players 19 or younger, just beating out fellow Top 100 prospects Nick Yorke (149), Francisco Álvarez (148) and Tyler Soderstrom (145).

So what does he have planned for an encore? He’s still figuring that out.

Talking to MLB Pipeline Tuesday from St. Louis’ Spring Training camp, the 6-foot-5 third baseman said he talks to his father before every season to lay out specific achievable goals.

Dykstra: As we’re speaking, you’re technically in big league camp in just your second Spring Training. Take me through this experience and what it’s like being here this quickly.

Walker: Oh, man, it's great. I think the best part about it is learning from people like Goldy [Paul Goldschmidt] and [Nolan] Arenado. It’s not even just getting to talk to them. It's mostly watching how they go about their work in the cages. They talk to each other, but once they get in that cage, they're dedicated. It's really cool how they have that switch and they can just do those things. So it's cool to learn from them.

Another cool thing is getting to hit off these pitchers. They're a lot better than High-A and Low-A. I think I’m just learning, getting a better approach, thinking through my approach to the plate, and learning that for later on in life. That's what I'm getting right now.

Dykstra: Even before big league camp, you’d been down here since early February. Where are you offensively right now? What are you tinkering with in the cage?

Walker: Staying back. Right now, I am out front on my front foot. Just getting in the habit of staying back. I had a ball in live [batting practice] that I stayed back on pretty well. So just trying to keep that consistent throughout the year.

• Cardinals Spring Training report

Dykstra: Reading some of your past comments about playing at High-A, you mentioned seeing a whole bunch of different types of pitches and that everyone’s command was better. So how does that compare to what you’re seeing now from potential Major Leaguers?

Walker: Man, I just had a live AB where it was fastball middle-in on the black, three sliders on the black and then changeup down and way. These guys know how to throw all their pitches for strikes and where they want them to. Being able to learn how to hit that, that’s what I need to learn right now. It's cool. I get to face it right now, so later down the road, I won't be as surprised.

Dykstra: You mentioned staying back in your stance. How else do you feel like you’ve grown the most since you first showed up here?

Walker: Just having an approach. I feel like the first season, I didn't really have a big approach. It was more of a see-it-and-hit-it-type thing. That works sometimes. But I think having an approach makes me a little bit more comfortable at the plate. Knowing what I want, what I don't want, what I want to hit and when I get it, being able to hit it. So I think that's what really I know.

Dykstra: Going back to last season, at what point did last year feel like a special season for you?

Walker: I think from the very first game. I've been dreaming about this for my whole life. So I think last year was special to me. Just to go into my first Minor League game against other Minor League teams. I had some live ABs against other people in our organization. But that was my first time going against other organizations. I think that that whole experience was special, to be honest.

Dykstra: When you did play, you were a pretty big exit velocity hitter. How much do you pay attention to that branch of analytics this early in your career?

Walker: Not too much. I’m just hitting it hard. The exit velo will happen if you hit it hard and square it up. Right now, I’m just focusing on squaring up the ball, and things will come.

Dykstra: When you do look back at last year, what was your favorite moment?

Walker: That’s tough. You know, I think it was just the camaraderie in the dugout, to be honest. We have a good time like cheering each other on, sometimes talking back and forth, being competitive with each other. My favorite moment on the field was probably my first at-bat home run [on May 4]. That was a pretty cool moment for me. But off the field in terms of things people don’t usually talk about, I think it was that -- talking to my teammates, having fun with my teammates, going out on the field with them and having a good time and getting the work done for sure.

Dykstra: Moving over to defense, this is an interesting organization for third basemen. Nolan Gorman even had to move over to second base last season. I know it’s still early in your career, but where are you working out defensively right now?

Walker: So I’m mostly third base, but -- and this is something I've been working on -- I've been working all over the place at other positions. It doesn't mean anything right now. They haven't told me [anything else] right now, so it’s still mostly working at third base. But I told the coaches that I wanted to work at other places, and they basically told me that's a good idea. I just want to be versatile. I want to be able to play anywhere. God forbid someone gets hurt, but I'll have more opportunities to be able to play other positions as well. I’m not saying anything that I'm moving away from third base, but I’m just looking at the opportunity standpoint of it.

Dykstra: What are those other positions you’re looking at?

Walker: So in the offseason, I worked out at third base, first base, outfield and then I was just messing around at shortstop, trying to get reads from there. I want to get reads from all over the place, just in case something happens. I always want to be ready.

Dykstra: Who would win in a Home Run Derby -- you or Nolan Gorman?

Walker: That is tough. It would be close. I don’t have an answer for you, but one of these days, I would like to have one of those.

Dykstra: Going back to high school, you were part of the unfortunate 2020 class that had a lot of their springs cut short before the Draft. Do you ever think about where you could have gone if you had a full spring?

Walker: Oh, I haven't really even thought about that. Actually, you’re the first person that asked me that. I haven't really thought of that. I don't know, I'm pretty happy with how things turned out.

One thing I did wish, though, is that our team, I think it was good enough to go to state that year. We lost in the Final Four every year, and I think our team was finally good enough to go all the way. It's a shame that it was cut off. But you know, with the Draft slot thing, I thought they haven't thought too much about it, and I haven't put too much focus on it. I'm just happy how things turned out to be honest.

Dykstra: Well, let’s put it another way -- do you feel like the big performance you had last year was an extension of what people would have seen from you in the spring of 2020?

Walker: Could be. I was feeling pretty good in the box in high school. Unfortunately, it got cut off. But I feel like I could have put up some numbers in high school if the season kept up.

Dykstra: Comps can be tough sometimes for outside evaluators. But when you look at yourself, who do you want to be? Who do you try to emulate as a potential Major Leaguer?

Walker: I want to be a guy like Kris Bryant. He’s versatile. He can play outfield. He plays third base, and he's tall too. I want to be able to be mobile like him. He's pretty mobile for his size. That’s really one of the big things in the offseason I worked on was mobility. I feel like if I'm mobile, and I'm able to move every which way, I can be put in a lot of different positions.

Dykstra: What is a realistic expectation for you this year when you look ahead?

Walker: I'm actually going to set my goals pretty soon. As soon as I set them, I can let you know. I just want to have a good season. Just hit the ball hard. That's really what I want to do -- hit the ball hard, make fewer errors, make the plays in the field and just have a good time.

Dykstra: When you say you will be setting goals, are they something you write down? How do they work?

Walker: I talk to my dad about it. He told me a few years ago to set a few goals before the season -- this was back in high school -- and see where you’re at at the end of the season. So I'm probably going to hop on the phone with him and find a few goals that are reasonable this year.

Dykstra: What were your goals last year?

Walker: It was 10 home runs. I think it was a .280 batting average, 10 stolen bases, and then I went over my error count. I allowed myself 12 or 13 errors. I'm pretty sure I went over that. [Editorial note: Walker committed 22 errors at third base in 2021.] Hopefully, I’ll get it under this year.

Dykstra: So what would give yourself on the report card?

Walker: OK, I’ll say a B, B-plus.

Dykstra: So room for improvement but still pretty good.

Walker: Room for improvement, for sure.