JUPITER, Fla. — Being a 19-year-old in spring training amongst some of the best players in baseball could be intimidating. But then again, not many teenagers are like Jordan Walker.
If you somehow haven't heard Walker's name yet, here are the basics:
He's a 6-foot-5, first-round third baseman out of Georgia who has slugged his way up to the 30th overall prospect spot on MLB.com's 2022 list, and the top prospect in the Cardinals organization.
In his first professional season, he was so good that the Cardinals had to move him up to High-A. Across two levels in his first year in the system, Walker hit .317 with 14 home runs, 48 RBI and an OPS of .936 in 82 games.
But Walker is not letting the hype of being a top prospect get to him.
"I try not to think about it. I just do what I can control pretty much. I know that's said a lot, but I really take it to heart. Because if I focus on what I feel I need to focus on, things will work out. If I do what I need to do, things will work out," Walker told 5 On Your Side's Ahmad Hicks at Spring Training in Jupiter. "Listening to all these explanations from other people, that will just get myself in my head and that's when I do my worst. So if I'm calm, relaxed and focusing on my swing and my game personally, things will work out."
Walker spent some time in the Major League spring camp before being moved to the minor league sessions this year, but he's soaking it all in from the guys who have already become big league stars.
He said he's learning that his approach and mindset have been the same as the best Major League players in the organization.
"If I just stick to the mechanics, that's how I'll get successful. If I stick to the mechanics, stick to who I am, stick to what I know I can do and play the game how it's supposed to be played, I'm gonna find myself in the big leagues. I feel like that's my way to do it. And that's what I've gotten from watching people like Arenado, people like Goldschmidt. They don't make things too big. They know what they can do and they do it really well. And by doing that, they become successful," Walker said.
Walker said he's learning more than just on-the-field baseball lessons from veterans like Arenado and Goldschmidt, too.
"I'm learning a lot just from watching them. Even if I don't talk to them, just the way they go about their actions. They joke around with their teammates obviously, but once they get in the cage or on the field, it's like a switch. They switch it up and they're locked in ready to play the game and get their work in. So it's really cool to see how they go about it and see what it takes to get myself to the big leagues," Walker said.
Speaking of Arenado, Walker knows the All-Star is likely going to be occupying the third base spot in St. Louis for quite a while. So while Walker is still at least a few years away from making it to the Majors himself, it's never too early to start working on his versatility.
"In the offseason, I worked in a few different positions and even took some fly balls in the outfield. It doesn't really mean anything right now to be honest. I'm still working out a lot at third base. But I like being able to be versatile. If I could play anywhere they need me and bat anywhere in the lineup, I want to be that person who could play anywhere," Walker said.
While the prospect rankings are nice, Walker knows his goal as a Cardinal is to win. And that winning franchise tradition isn't lost on the teenager.
"They expect to win. And I'm fully behind that. They expect to win and they're trying to form me into a player that can help them win a World Series, and I like that," Walker said. "And I'm really trying to work at meeting their expectations and being that player that can help them win a World Series. And I'm fully on board with the winning mentality they have."
So, other than a winner, what kind of player does Walker want to be?
The talent and work ethic are there, but so is the love for the game. And Walker said that's just as important.
"I want to be known as a solid baseball player. As a person who represents the game of baseball. I want to be fun, but also showing that you're devoted to it. Showing that it's not just fun, you have to really work at it if you want to get to the big leagues," Walker said. "A lot of people out there think you're drafted and you're just immediately going to be in the big leagues, like the NFL. That's not how it works. There's a lot of people you have to compete against to get to where you're at. So I want it to be fun, but I also want to show that devotion to the game, and you've got to love the game to really have success in it."
But there's also another goal Walker has.
As one of the highest-profile Black prospects in a sport that doesn't exactly have an abundance of Black players, he wants to continue to be a role model for kids who look like him, so they can dream big, too.
"It means a lot. I want to represent. I want this game to have a lot more Black players and I want to inspire Black kids to come play the game," Walker said. "I want to show that it's fun and you've got to work hard at it and things like that. I want to be that representation. So that's what I'm looking forward to and working forward to in this organization as well."
If he continues to move through the Cardinals' system at the pace he's established so far, we could be seeing Walker at Busch Stadium before we know it.
And he's counting on bringing his humble mindset with him, no matter how big the hype gets.
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