St. Louis Cardinals legend Adam Wainwright thinks Jordan Walker is about to rake at the MLB level. His first game didn’t go according to plan.

St. Louis Cardinals top prospect Jordan Walker’s second stint in the big leagues went horribly wrong, so much so that he was sent back down to Memphis just a month into the season. Walker rebounded nicely in Memphis, and over time has earned himself a promotion back to St. Louis.

Still, the Cardinals front office should proceed with caution The decision to promote Walker was a calculated one, as he will platoon in the St. Louis lineup. As FanSided’s Zach Rotman pointed out earlier this week, this is a strategy that may just work.

“Walker hasn’t been in the majors for too long, but when he has been at this level, his OPS against righties (.789) is far better than his mark against lefties (.648). Even this season in the minors his OPS against righties (.719) is over 30 points higher than his mark against lefties (.682),” Rotman wrote.

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Cardinals legend had a hot Jordan Walker take

Prior to Walker’s return, Cardinals legend Adam Wainwright took to social media to wish him the best, and make a bold proclamation.

Sounds like a plan! Yet, Walker made his return on Monday night, and it didn’t go so well. The 22-year-old went 0-for-3 with a walk against the Cincinnati Reds. His 2023 batting average is down to .148. Walker did make solid contact with two of his outs, which he took as a positive sign. This came after hitting two home runs in Memphis in the past week.

“Being able to homer off those pitches were good signs of how far the adjustments have gotten me,” Walker added. “Now, my main focus is maintaining that, and not letting my hands be inconsistent before I fire.”

Walker’s hands do seem to be the issue with his approach. A great first step is identifying the problem, and Walker has done that. His modified stance also turned into results in Memphis.

“I’ve been working with Antico every day and we’ve been hitting off the tee with foam balls and working with Howie [Clark] and Hawks,” Walker said, via MLB.com. “They pointed out how my hands were inconsistent. I wasn’t getting into consistent firing positions every time. So, I’ve just started getting my hands back earlier, and I’ve been more consistent and things have started going my way. Those three guys have helped me get through a lot of stuff, and it’s happened to go my way.”

Baseball is incredible in that the smallest adjustment can make a massive impact. Such is the life of a big-league prospect. Sometimes, in the thick of it all, it’s important to get back to their roots.