I’m not going to give John Mozeliak any credit for team building and managing the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024. But I’ll give him this nugget: He was correct about Jordan Walker.
They struggled to determine Jordan Walker’s role in their 2024 ambitions, mismanaging him along the way. He was demoted to the minors before being called back up as a platoon player in August. He only had 11 at-bats before the trial ended.
After effectively waving the white flag on the season, the Cardinals were able to do what Mozeliak had always wanted for Walker: bring him back up in an everyday position to see what he’s got.
And wouldn’t you know it, Walker showed up on Sunday.
Jordan Walker’s five-hit day proved John Mozeliak right about platoon plan
After a couple of games with one hit in eight at-bats, Walker exploded against the Yankees. He went 5-for-5 with a homer and four RBI. He added two stolen bases for good measure.
Walker’s yo-yoing between the majors and minors was due to his poor early-season performance. If the Cardinals had maintained this level of play throughout the season, they could have avoided some turmoil.
What this outing demonstrates is Walker’s enormous potential and the caution St. Louis should take with him.
The decision to send him down in the first place made sense. He’s a young player in need of a reset. It made no sense to bring him back up and platoon him. The obvious separation between Mozeliak and manager Oli Marmol was a source of concern at the time.
“My belief has always been that if you’re a young player, you should play. When Walker’s platoon experiment came to an end, Mozeliak observed, “I always cringe at the thought of someone 22 years old sitting on the bench.”
The good news is that everyone appears to be on the same page now. The findings reflect this.
Walker’s future in St. Louis remains uncertain. At the very least, he’ll have a few games to show himself.
