By MATT PIKE
In a breakout season, St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker is not just heading to his first All Star Game next week in Philadelphia, he will also look to become the first Cardinal to win the Home Run Derby.
Walker accepted MLB’s invitation to participate in the T-Mobile Home Run Derby. He will be the first Cardinals hitter to participate in the Home Run Derby since Albert Pujols in 2022. No Cardinal has ever won the Derby, with Pujols coming closest, finishing as the runner-up to Garret Anderson in 2003.
Walker joins Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, Yankees first baseman Ben Rice, Royals outfielder Jac Caglianone and Red Sox first baseman, and former teammate with the Cardinals, Willson Contreras as the other Derby participants announced in this year’s field.
Through 89 games, Walker is slashing .294/.355/.534 with 21 home runs, 70 RBIs and an .889 OPS. The new Walker, with a revamped swing designed to lift the ball in the air, is tailor-made for the Derby. Heading into tonights finale against the Milwaukee Brewers, only nine hitters had more long balls than Walker and only 12 had a higher slugging percentage.
The power comes easy now, as Walker swings one of the Majors' fastest bats, with a 79.1 mph average bat speed and an 85.7% fast-swing rate. Caminero is the only qualified hitter with better metrics in either category. As a result, Walker hits the ball incredibly hard. His 94.2 mph average exit velocity is tied for fifth highest among qualified hitters.
The Derby will be held on Monday at Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park and will air live at 7pm on Netflix.
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