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At age 35 Goldy is still our best overall hitter IMO. I don’t see a dramatic decline for him, more likely a slower regression. A two year extension wouldn’t be a burden.
We can agree to disagree. He will be 37 after the 2024 season. We have other options and he hasn’t been very good in the playoffs. But knowing the Cards front office he has extension written all over him. He is not the problem but he isn’t the solution for the future IMO.
None of our players have been good in the playoffs so he isn’t alone there. Who are these other options?
Baker? Contreras? Donovan? Walker? Burleson?
I don’t see any of them providing the same combo of offense and defense that Goldy would provide even at an advanced age. Of all the things wrong with this team he isn’t one of them.
I just said that didn’t I? He is not part of the problem. But not to worry he will extended you can count on that. I prefer to move on from him.
There’s no question that Goldschmidt is the best across the board hitter on this team and the only thing wrong with him this season has been where he’s been placed in the batting order. In my view, having Contreras, Gorman and Nootbar…yeah, Nootbar, placed in the 3 slot in Goldschmidt’s place has cost the Cardinals at least 5 to 7 W’s this season.
I like Walker at 1B. Goldy could bring pitching in trade now, and his 2024 salary relief brings in more pitching this winter.
After a successful June, where Jordan logged a 10/15 BB/K, he has since slipped to a 5/30 BB/K (July/Aug).
Overall he sits at a 98 ops+, and our chances of an extra pick by ROY voting are slipping away (-1.7 bwar season to date).
Might as well play him.
Walker has faded badly. I think a rebound for him depends on how hard he works this off-season.
The offensive talent is there but he’s clearly a fish out of water in the outfield.
An off-season of hard work paid off for Donovan and Gorman. Maybe it will do the same for Walker but for those hoping for the second coming of an Albert Puhols type player…..
Walker is making progress toward being playable in RF. I am less worried about it than I was. We’ll see how he looks out there a year from now.
I’m more concerned with his development on the offense side, strange as that sounds. As of now he has neither consistent power nor bat on ball skills.
FWIW, Corbin Carroll is the runaway favorite to win NL ROY. Per the oddsmakers, Walker is on the edge of the top 10.
Don’t forget that Gorman was looking like a possible bust for awhile. Just looking at Walker, and how he stands in at the plate, makes me think he’s going to be one of the ‘faces’ of the Cardinals one day.
One would never know it from the gloomy opinions some offer here, but young players DO improve. The data confirms that Walker’s defense has gotten better three months in a row.
Nice to see Arenado and J. Walker each trending back up on defense after some pretty rough stretches earlier in the summer pic.twitter.com/tY3g61o3r8
— Mike Petriello (@mike_petriello) September 11, 2023
At 21 years, 117 days, Walker is the fourth-youngest Cardinal ever to reach 100 career hits, behind only Rogers Hornsby (20.078), Frank Snyder (20.346), and Garry Templeton (21.057).
The data confirms that Walker’s defense has gotten better three months in a row.
I am curious what metric they are using?
Statcast Outs Above Average shows Walker with -5 OAA, which is fourth-worst among right fielders. His 82% success rate is tied for second-worst. His Success Rate Added is tied for fourth-worst.
He’s going to have to get into the 88-89% success rate to be an average defender.
I guess this thread has become the general Walker related conversation thread.
It seems right to call out the good offensive season Walker has turned in. He has out BAd Goldy, NA and Willson, among other things. And amongst a team riddled with injuries, he has answered the bell all year. Between ML and AAA I thinks its 140+ GS.
Bling-what do you think about Walker in the two hole next year?
Noot
Walker
Goldy
Arenado
Contreras
Gorman
Tommy
Winn
Donovan1. Noot (CF)
2. Donovan (LF)
3. Goldy (1B)
4. Arenado (3B)
5. Gorman (2B)
6. Walker (DH)
7. Conteras/Herrera (C)
8. Palacios (RF)
9. Edman (SS)Winn will begin the year in AAA
KCB, I would not be horrified if Walker were used in the #2 spot. He has come along well as a ML hitter. As of now, his OBP is getting pretty close to what I like to see in the top two slots. How I would use him depends on some factors. Mainly whether Noot, Donovan and Contreras are still here. If it was me, I wouldn’t put him at #2 to start the season unless either Noot or Donovan is no longer here, or unless one or the other are sucking in ST. If they are both here, and putting up good OBP, then I would rather use him to protect the middle of the order guys. 5th or 6th, depending upon whether Contreras is still here and still hitting.
Everyone assumes Walker will develop as a middle of the order power bat, and maybe so, but he could also develop as a line drive hitting get on base guy with regular gap power and some going over the wall. My biggest fear is the clip boards will try to “fix” his swing and we end up with another high K rate all or nothing guy with zero situational hitting ability. That is a very real possibility.
I don’t have Gorman factored into the lineup, which is weird since he puts up big power numbers. Its not because I think he will be gone, I have little feel for that possibility. Its also not because I think he will be on the IL or bench banged up all the time. I do think that, but that’s not why I don’t factor him in. Rather, I feel like, as of now, he is unreliable. All over the board. So I say wait until we see what he does, and deploy him appropriatly. Middle of the order or down in the order. Or maybe he’s not even here or he’s layed out on the trainer’s table.
What has happened to indicate Walker would dh?
Walker is one of the worst defensive outfielders in the game.
Or Contretas not bat fifth?
Whether Contreras or Walker bats 5th really doesn’t matter. But Walker should be batting fifth when Herrera is in the game.
A 21-year-old who has been playing a position for just one year CAN improve, and he did demonstrate some progress defensively during the season, as he clearly did with the bat.
There are zero indications from the Cardinals that they intend to make Walker a DH. That is entirely fan wish driven.
To Walker’s credit, he seems to be doing all he can to become a better outfielder. Grissom earned four Gold Gloves.
In addition to living in Jupiter, Fla. & working most of the off-season with #STLCards coaches at the team’s HQ, star rookie Jordan Walker said he will work on outfielder defense drills with former #Braves great Marquis Grissom. Grissom, a two-time All-Star, is a family friend.
— John Denton (@JohnDenton555) September 30, 2023
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