Cardinals’ Jordan Walker gets bold All-Star prediction that has near-impossible odds originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The St. Louis Cardinals might be the biggest surprise this season, with the 21-15 record one of the more impressive feats of the early part of the season so far.
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One of the catalysts for such a hot start this season in St. Louis is Jordan Walker, the 23-year-old slugger who is finally breaking out after some rough seasons the last few years.
Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller predicted that Walker will not just be an All-Star, which is a bold prediction on its own, but that Walker will be a starter for the NL All-Star team this year alongside Mickey Moniak of the Colorado Rockies.
“Jordan Walker and Mickey Moniak will both start in the All-Star game,” Miller writes. Those two have been great this season, so why is this Miller’s hottest take?
Well, unfortunately for Walker, there are a few hurdles he’d need to clear to get this honor, and both combine to make a nearly impossible situation for Walker to earn a starting spot for the All-Star Game.
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Jordan Walker has near-impossible odds to be named as All-Star starter
Walker is having a great season. His defense is great, and he’s running the bases well with seven steals this year. Offensively, he has a .303 average with a .956 OPS in 35 games and 150 plate appearances.
Those statistics should be good enough to make the All-Star team, but being named a starter is a different challenge for the Cardinals outfielder.
As Miller noted, the All-Star game starting lineup is a popularity contest, with fans voting for who should be the starters, and a player like Walker on the Cardinals will have a tough time beating out some of the bigger-name players around baseball.
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MORE: 5 reasons to believe in Jordan Walker’s breakout for Cardinals
Kyle Tucker, Juan Soto, Ronald Acuna Jr., Fernando Tatis Jr., Andy Pages, James Wood, and potentially even Oniel Cruz, Ian Happ, Pete Crow-Armstrong, and Corbin Carroll could all make a starting spot in the outfield hard to come by.
As good as Walker has been this season, with plenty of other outfielders in the NL likely to receive more votes, it will be hard for Walker to earn a starting spot by the fan vote’s popularity contest.
Not only will Walker need to win a popularity contest, but he also needs to continue producing as he has until July to earn the accolade, which is easier said than done.
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Walker’s breakout is for real, but turning it into an All-Star Game start is a big step. He might earn an All-Star nod, but being named a starter might prove to be too difficult.