But this is what Jordan Walker was always supposed to look like for the St. Louis Cardinals.
Walker was once a top prospect, and he raked upon his initial entry into Major League Baseball.
And then, for whatever reason, Walker entirely tanked.
It wasn't clear he'd ever get back to that peak self, but to start this new season, Walker seems incredible once again.
This home run on Sunday came on an offspeed pitch away from Walker, and he reached out and absolutely clobbered it.
A J-Bomb! 💣
Jordan Walker hits his first home run of 2026. He did an excellent job staying back on Matz's 83 mph changeup. The effortless 75 mph swing came off the bat at 105.8 mph and traveled 415 feet. Encouraging early signs from Walker. #STLCards pic.twitter.com/smA8FXyh8O
— Ethan Hannaford (@echann7) March 29, 2026
Walker's Baseball Savant page has a lot of red on it. That's a good thing:
Been a good opening series for Walker. #STLCards https://t.co/BlhxVugGS9 pic.twitter.com/VGkk4hqlFw
— Ethan Hannaford (@echann7) March 29, 2026
Walker is making high quality contact in the early going. If he keeps doing that, the Cardinals could rebound sooner than people are expecting.
At his best, Walker was supposed to be an intimidating power hitter. Maybe he's still got some of that left in the tank after all.