Should I Pick Up and Stash Jordan Walker for Fantasy Baseball? Fantasy Baseball Waiver Wire Outlook

St. Louis sent down their top prospect, Jordan Walker on Wednesday much to the surprise of the fantasy baseball community. Fantasy managers spent a top 150 pick on the 20-year-old phenom during the draft season after it was revealed he would be on the Cardinals' Opening Day roster. 

Before his demotion, he had been held out of the lineup in three of the previous four games. The team's reasoning seems focused on his swing but Walker was enjoying a successful start to his major league career, before stalling of late. 

The timing of the demotion seems unfair as he was rewarded for a strong spring but had been losing regular at-bats to Alec Burleson and Dylan Carlson. These two outfielders were fighting for a roster spot in spring training according to manager, Oliver Marmol. Nevertheless, our job as fantasy managers is to react and compare how Walker stacks up against other prospects on the verge. 

Jordan Walker's Hot Start to 2023

Walker put together a .274 batting average with two home runs and 11 RBI through his first major league 20 games. He also crafted an impressive 12-game hitting streak to start off his career; tying a century-old record. 

The former first-round pick has shown true power potential sporting a max exit velocity of 113.9 mph, ranking in the 95th percentile, per Statcast. His remaining underlying numbers remain lackluster, showing a lack of consistency (not uncommon for rookies). Rookie standouts of last year took time to find their footing while adjusting to major league pitching. Let's not forget that Julio Rodriguez and Bobby Witt Jr. combined for zero home runs in the month of April last season. 

What's the Timetable?

Walker’s initial success at the major league stage should hold true while facing minor league pitching. The key will be making the needed adjustments Marmol mentioned, including working on evaluating the ball and focusing on a consistently higher launch angle. Additionally, Walker will need to remain confident in the approach that got him this far, the adjustment to a demotion can be extremely difficult for players. 

Fantasy managers should continue to believe in the player they saw as the season kicked off. Walker’s prospect pedigree speaks for itself, making the opening-day roster as a 20-year-old is no easy feat. 

Walker’s timetable seems murky at the moment but hopefully, he forces the Cardinals' hand at the expense of Triple-A pitching in the coming weeks. Walker’s upside is too high for a player to be sitting on your waiver wire, even in shallow leagues. Stash Walker now if he was let go while we wait for further updates regarding the team's agenda. 

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