ST. LOUIS — One of the most special parts of a big league debut is seeing the reaction from parents in the stands.
The Cardinals will have quite the debut on opening day at Busch Stadium in 2023.
Baseball's No. 4 overall prospect Jordan Walker is starting in right field to begin his career. And the 20-year-old phenom will have quite the cheering section.
"At last count, we have 17 (family and friends coming to the game), but who knows. We're meeting friends as we go along. So by the time we get in the stadium how many we'll have," Jordan's father Derek said before opening day.
"I wanted to get here early because I've heard about opening day with the Cardinals and it's awesome. I love it," Jordan's mother Katrina said.
After being drafted in 2020, Jordan was flown through the Cardinals' system. Just three years later, he's making his MLB debut. It has been a whirlwind for his parents as well.
"I'm standing here in Ballpark Village and I can clearly remember when we came here in 2020 to sign, there was nobody here. It was crickets... And now there's what, thousands of people here? And it felt like the blink of an eye. So it's really gone very, very fast. Much faster than we would have anticipated," Derek said.
To little surprise, it turns out the Cardinals' starting right fielder showed glimpses of what his future could be very early on.
"One thing I bring up often is when he was nine years old playing tee ball at Mountain Park Park in Georgia, he hit a ball that was beyond a 125-foot fence, he hit it probably 20 feet further, up a berm, into a parking lot and hit his grandmother's car. That was a nine years old when most kids aren't even hitting it to the fence. So that was one inclination. And then in high school, he really took off. His junior year he set four or five state records in average and home runs and stuff like that," Derek said.
Jordan made the opening day roster because of his talent and impressive performance in spring training, but also because of his maturity. The 20-year-old may be one of the Rookie of the Year favorites in the National League, but he's not impacted by the hype.
"He always talks about liking to keep things simple. So I think that he's been very good growing up at keeping the main thing the main thing. So I think he focuses on what's in his control, and then it's just about enjoying the moment," Katrina said.
So, how will the parents feel when they see their son step into the Busch Stadium batter's box to live out a dream?
"Indescribable. No words. Super proud, as we are of all our kids. Super proud of Jordan for starting his dream," Derek said.
"Super thankful. Because I know there are lots of people who have this dream, who work hard, and it doesn't always work out. So just feeling thankful that he has the opportunity and he seized the opportunity and did everything in his power to make it happen. Just very thankful," Katrina said.
Walker picked up his first career hit in his first at-bat when he rifled a single back up the middle in the second inning.
