Walker went 2-for-4 with a solo home run in Sunday's Grapefruit league finale against the Astros.

EDGE Analysis

Walker's first and only home run this spring went 413 feet and was measured at 111.3 mph off the bat. He also contributed a single that exited his bat at 106.5 mph. While he finished spring training on a high note, it's been a disappointing camp for Walker on the whole, as he hit only .205 with a 3:16 BB:K over 47 plate appearances. The 23-year-old will open 2026 as the Cardinals' everyday right fielder and should be offered some leash during the club's rebuilding season.

Walker is just 5-for-23 with zero extra-base hits and a 2:8 BB:K so far this spring.

EDGE Analysis

Per Bernie Miklasz of STL Sports Central, Walker is sporting a 60 percent groundball rate, and 80 percent of his batted balls have either been grounders or infield popups. It's too soon to make sweeping judgments, but the changes Walker made with his swing at Driveline Baseball over the offseason have yet to take hold. The Cardinals are going to give the 23-year-old plenty of leash in right field this season as he looks to right the ship after slashing just .211/.270/.324 over the last two seasons.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol believes Walker could steal more bases in 2026, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder is surprisingly fleet of foot, ranking in the 84th percentile in sprint speed last season. Walker stole a career-high 10 bases in 13 attempts in 2025, and Marmol thinks there could be more in the tank for the 23-year-old if the team is able to "coach him up in a way that he feels comfortable taking more risks." Of course, Walker will need to get on base more to have an opportunity to pilfer more bags, and the former top prospect has been trying to implement swing changes he worked on this offseason at Driveline Baseball. Marmol has been encouraged by what he's seen from Walker early on in camp, noting that, "he knows what's at stake, and man, he's working really hard at it."

Walker said earlier this week that he "found something" with his swing while working at Driveline Baseball in October that was "real exciting," Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Walker's assessment at Driveline determined that his back hip was collapsing on his swing, which caused him to drift forward and sap him of his power. He was put through drills with resistance bands and swing training that help him keep his hip back, and Walker said he feels like "I can crush anything they throw at me." In addition to his work at Driveline, Walker has also been given meal-prep and nutrition plans and gone through a strength and agility training plan given to him at Cressey Sports Performance, which focuses on flexibility. After slashing just .211/.270/.324 over the last two seasons and spending time in the minors both years to work on his swing, Walker knows he needs to show real progress in 2026, and it seems he's putting in the work to help him reach that goal. The rebuilding Cardinals plan to give the 23-year-old regular playing time in right field in 2026.

Walker went 1-for-2 with two walks, a two-run home run and a stolen base in Saturday's 7-3 loss to the Cubs.

EDGE Analysis

The long ball, his first since Aug. 28, was the sixth of the season for Walker, while the steal was his 10th in 110 big-league games. The 23-year-old outfielder is still struggling to establish himself in the majors, but he's batting .280 (7-for-25) over the last eight contests with more walks (five) than strikeouts (four) as he looks to wrap up 2025 on a positive note.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said Wednesday that Walker will get "a little bit more of a run" in right field following the season-ending injury to Willson Contreras (shoulder), Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Alec Burleson will take over for Contreras as the team's primary first baseman, allowing Lars Nootbaar to play left field and Walker to handle right field most days. Walker started in right field Wednesday, marking just his second start over the last six games versus righties. He's slashing only .133/.212/.167 in September and .215/.272/.303 for the season.

Walker is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game against the Athletics.

EDGE Analysis

Walker has been in the lineup for nine of the last 10 games, but he has just a .386 OPS and 37.2 percent strikeout rate across his last 16 contests. Nathan Church will be in right field and bat ninth for the Cardinals.

Walker is out of the lineup for Wednesday's game versus the Pirates.

EDGE Analysis

Walker started in each of the previous four games, which had been preceded by a four-game stretch when he made only one start. The 23-year-old is slashing just .234/.269/.297 in August and .231/.285/.318 on the season. Lars Nootbaar will handle right field and Nathan Church will play center field for the Cardinals on Wednesday.

Walker is not in the lineup for Tuesday's game in Miami.

EDGE Analysis

It marks the second day in a row and the third time over the last five games against right-handed pitching that Walker has been absent from the Cardinals' lineup. Walker -- who is 1-for-18 with eight strikeouts over his last six contests -- will again cede right field to Lars Nootbaar, while Nathan Church receives his third straight start in center field.

Walker is out of the lineup for Monday's game in Miami.

EDGE Analysis

Walker started in right field in each of the previous five games and 10 of the last 11 tilts, but he will begin Monday's contest on the bench. The Cardinals will go with Alec Burleson, Nathan Church and Lars Nootbaar in the outfield from left to right in the series opener in Miami.