St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker is headed to the Home Run Derby, set to take place in Philadelphia on Monday.
Walker becomes the fifth confirmed entrant in the competition, joining Boston’s Willson Contreras, Kansas City’s Jac Caglianone, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, and the New York Yankees’ Ben Rice. Three spots in the eight-player field have yet to be filled.
The 24-year-old is making his first All-Star appearance and has been one of the breakout performers of the season. Walker has launched 21 home runs, placing him fifth in the National League, while batting .294 with an .889 OPS. He also leads all of Major League Baseball with 70 RBIs. Walker was selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2020 draft.
With his appearance in the derby, Walker will become the eighth Cardinals player to ever compete in the event. He joins a list that includes Jack Clark (1985), Ray Lankford (1997), Mark McGwire (1998-99), Jim Edmonds (2003), Albert Pujols (2003, 2007, 2009, 2022), Matt Holliday (2010-11), and Carlos Beltran (2012).
Despite that long history of participation, no Cardinals player has ever taken home the Home Run Derby title.
