There isn't a bigger story for the 2026 St. Louis Cardinals than the meteoric rise and turnaround from 24-year-old outfielder Jordan Walker. Rookie phenom JJ Wetherholt is close, but the biggest story of the season has to be how Walker has seemingly transformed his career after two straight disastrous seasons. Development isn't a straight line. He got to the majors back in 2023 and had a solid rookie season, before struggles over the last two seasons. But, again, it's important to note that he's just 24 years old. He made his big league debut at 20 years old. There are going to be growing pains. The important thing is that rather than giving up, Walker continued to grind behind the scenes and has pulled himself out of it. This season has been incredible for him. He earned his first All-Star nod and just became the first member of the Cardinals to win the Home Run Derby. If you told fans around the team even back in Spring Training that this would be the reality, they would be shocked. Fast forward a few months and Walker didn't just win the Home Run Derby, but he also sat next to Major League Baseball's home run champ in Barry Bonds, who had nothing but good things to say about the Cardinals star. Cardinals Outfielder Jordan Walker Is A StarJul 11, 2026; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Jordan Walker (18) celebrates after hitting a single against the Atlanta Braves in the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect"I thought that was the greatest Home Run Derby I've ever seen," Bonds said after Walker took down Schwarber in the finals. ""What got me was this," Bonds said to Walker. "You were so calm and you used your hands well. You never cared how far the ball went, you actually used your hands well. … And it was probably the most amazing thing and for me to say it, brother I’m going to tell you right now I’ve seen a lot of home runs, but to come back from 11 with only 15 [swings]… you've got my my trophy too."— Netflix Sports (@netflixsports) July 14, 2026Who saw that coming? A year ago, Walker was a .215 hitter with six total homers in 111 games played. This year, he had the league's all-time home run champ complimenting him left and right. How the tides have turned. The Cardinals can't ask for much more out of Walker at this point. The 24-year-old is here to stay. Him and Wetherholt are the building block pieces St. Louis has needed.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow