One Home Run Derby Win Just Made Jordan Walker the Cardinals’ Most Expensive Hometown Discount Yet

Jordan Walker just did something that changes the conversation around him. He won the Home Run Derby. And now the St. Louis Cardinals have a decision to make that’s going to cost them either a lot of money or a lot of future headaches.

The 24-year-old outfielder isn’t eligible for free agency until 2030. But arbitration is coming, and that’s where things get tricky. The Cardinals could buy out those arbitration years now and lock Walker up long-term. Or they could wait, watch his price tag climb, and risk losing him entirely down the road. Lynn Worthy of the St. Louis Dispatch thinks the answer is obvious.

“Soon, it’ll be time for the Cardinals to take a big step forward by signing Walker to a long-term contract that will make him a cornerstone of this new era of baseball in St. Louis,” Worthy wrote. “It will be the fulfillment of the promise and prognostication that has surrounded Walker for years, dating before he got drafted. It will be a sign that the Cardinals have stopped floundering and have set out confidently on a new path.”

That’s a pretty direct message from someone who covers the team day in and day out. And Worthy didn’t stop there.

“MLB teams pay for power, and they particularly covet it from players under 30 years old,” he continued. “If the Cardinals let him get away, they’ll likely be chasing his skillset for years.”

Walker’s numbers this season back that up. Through 95 games in 2026, he’s hitting .293 with 22 home runs and 13 stolen bases. All three counting stats are career highs. He leads the league in RBIs too, which is exactly the kind of production teams build around.

The Cardinals already signed shortstop JJ Wetherholt to an extension. They’re clearly trying to lock in their young core before prices get out of hand. Walker is making that case for himself every time he steps to the plate.

The Home Run Derby win got everyone’s attention. But Walker has been doing this all season long. If the Cardinals don’t act now, they might end up paying a lot more later — or watching him do it somewhere else.