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The St. Louis Cardinals are beginning their rebuild this season now that Chaim Bloom is taking over. They traded Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, and Brendan Donovan, while more could be dealt in the future.
While it's a rebuild, things might be sped up a bit thanks to Jordan Walker, who is breaking out in a big way this season. Even though he's cooled off a little bit, his breakout is still very encouraging.
ESPN's David Schoenfield revealed five reasons why he believes that Walker's breakout this season is for real. And they all point to this breakout being more than just a flash in the pan.
5 reasons to believe Jordan Walker's breakout is for real
1. Age
"He doesn't turn 24 until May 22," Schoenfield writes. By still being just 23 years old and not turning 24 until mid-to-late May, Walker's breakout is coming at a very young age.
Plenty of players don't break out until later in their 20's, and 23 and 24-year-olds are still young enough to have belief in the future.
2. Power
"The raw power has always been there, and his eight home runs include blasts of 429, 432, and 459 feet," Schoenfield writes.
Players cannot fake such prestigious power. They can get lucky with a homer or two, but what Walker has done is more than enough proof to showcase his elite power potential.
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3. Fly-ball consistency
"He is getting the ball in the air more often," Schoenfield writes. Being able to generate fly balls more often is a sign that he can hit more home runs.
If he were hitting ground balls more often, like he was previously, then his odds of hitting a home run with his natural power would be low. This fly-ball rate is a great omen for more homers.
4. Athleticism
"You can buy into the overall athleticism (99th percentile arm strength, 93rd percentile speed)," Schoenfield writes.
The Cardinals slugger isn't just naturally gifted with elite power; he also has elite arm strength to cut down runners trying to advance on the basepaths.
His speed being elite is a great sign as well, as he can get to balls in the outfield easier, and more importantly, generate more runs by getting an extra base on hits, or through stealing bases.
More: Shohei Ohtani deemed more valuable than Aaron Judge in recent ESPN discussion piece
5. Lineup stability
"He knows he will be in the lineup all season," Schoenfield writes. While this might not seem like a reason to believe in Walker's breakout, this lineup stability will give Walker a better peace-of-mind to not let a slump completely hinder his production.
Even if Walker struggles for a little while, he won't lose his lineup spot, which is a major boost of confidence for any player to not stress about their job in the Majors.
Why it's time to believe in Jordan Walker's breakout
This season, Walker has put up 1.7 bWAR in 27 games with 21 runs scored, 28 hits, four doubles, eight home runs, 16 RBIs, four stolen bases, 12 walks, a .275 batting average, a .906 OPS, and a 152 OPS+.
Walker has been one of the biggest surprises of the year, and while his slump lately has brought his overall numbers down, there is still reason to believe in his breakout.
Between being 23 years old (24 in May), his natural power at the plate, fly-ball rate, arm strength, speed, and stability in the lineup, Walker's breakout looks to be more than a flash in the pan.
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