Cardinals .944 OPS breakout slugger is one of MLB's biggest winners

The St. Louis Cardinals came into the 2026 season as a rebuilding team in Chaim Bloom's first year running the show. They traded away Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, Nolan Arenado, and Sonny Gray.

But, in an unexpected turn of events, the Cardinals aren't simply just playing well; they're 29-25 on the season, and a legitimate playoff contender. There are a few reasons why they've been so good, but one stands out among the rest.

As Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report highlighted, the 24-year-old Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker is more than just a reason for the team's success this season, as he's also one of MLB's biggest winners so far.

Cardinals' Jordan Walker is one of MLB's biggest winners

"Walker seemingly entered the season on his last shot in St. Louis," Kelly writes. "He's responded with a campaign that will almost certainly net him his first All-Star Game selection."

Coming into the season, Walker had posted a brutal -.26 bWAR in 279 career games in the Majors with 27 homers, a .240 batting average, a .680 OPS, and some poor defensive metrics.

But, in 2026, not only has Walker improved significantly defensively, but he's also been a much better hitter. He has a .300 batting average and a .944 OPS with a 170 OPS+ in 53 games with 15 homers.

MORE: 5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker's breakout for Cardinals

There are plenty of players who are having great 2026 seasons that deserve praise and recognition, but the delta for Walker, comparing his three seasons from 2023 through 2025 to his 2026 production, is night and day.

The best representation of his production is how he had -2.6 bWAR in his career coming into the season, and after posting 3.1 bWAR in a quarter of the games played, he's already back in the positive for his career bWAR mark.

Walker might be the biggest individual winner of the MLB season, as he's gone from borderline bust to a clear-cut All-Star and even MVP candidate this season.

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