(Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
After the signing of Willson Contreras, the St. Louis Cardinals were relatively quiet in the offseason and did not add any more major pieces.
As it turns out, they didn’t need to, at least in terms of offense.
Top prospect and slugger Jordan Walker had an incredible spring and ultimately forced his way onto to the Cardinals Opening Day roster.
He had cooled off slightly after a strong start to the spring, but managed to hit for a .286 batting average with three home runs, nine RBI, two stolen bases, and an .816 OPS.
On Twitter, the Cardinals posted a video of the moment Walker learned he had made the team from manager Oli Marmol.
That moment when your dream becomes a reality. pic.twitter.com/lHU7tiZBn3
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) March 26, 2023
Walker was overcome with emotion and shed tears of joy when Marmol delivered the news.
The 20-year-old put together a strong spring and ultimately forced the Cardinals’ hand, much like shortstop Anthony Volpe did with the New York Yankees.
Walker could potentially serve as the team’s designated hitter or even draw starts in left field for the Cardinals.
Though the Cardinals outfield isn’t set just yet in terms of who will start on Opening Day, it’s possible that with Walker in left, Tyler O’Neill could slide over to center field, with Lars Nootbaar remaining in right field.
But after years of hard work and a spring training to remember, Walker is heading north with the Cardinals, and you can bet that the fans at Busch Stadium will give him a huge ovation on Thursday when the team opens up their season against the Toronto Blue Jays.
The post Video Shows The Moment Cardinals Prospect’s Dream Came True appeared first on The Cold Wire.