In the April 26, 2024, episode of the Best Podcast in Baseball, hosted by St. Louis Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold and featuring fellow writer Daniel Guerrero, listeners were treated to an insightful discussion on the Cardinals’ minor league developments and the organization’s strategy concerning their young talents. The episode focused particularly on Jordan Walker and Victor Scott’s demotion to AAA, among other topics. Here’s a Spotify link where you can listen to the live conversation and subscribe to future episodes:
Best Podcast in Baseball — April 26, 2024
Don’t have time to listen to the full show? Here’s a rundown of the conversation:
Jordan Walker‘s Developmental Journey
Jordan Walker was the primary topic. Recently optioned back to AAA for the second time. Despite his raw talent, Walker struggles with a high ground ball rate and a notably low line drive rate, issues that have persisted since his previous season.
“Jordan Walker’s ground ball rate is still pretty high at 50%,” Guerrero said. “His line drive rate is in the single digits, below 5%…it’s one of those things where like as you noted it comes at a time similar to last year and kind of look back on the 2023 Cardinals and you look at that time frame.”
“You can see him collapse a little bit on that back leg to kind of elevate that pitch or to reach that pitch … But also that engages that power that he had which was gap to gap,” Goold added.
Walker’s challenges extend to handling breaking pitches and a tendency to swing at balls outside the strike zone. The decision to send him back to AAA, as manager Oliver Marmol suggested, is seen as crucial for Walker’s development, allowing him to make necessary adjustments in a lower-pressure environment. There’s no set timeline for his return, and as Goold noted, Walker remains just 21 years old.
“He is about the age that … hitters are in their junior year of college,” Goold said. “So, he would be doing these adjustments… against college pitching while he’s growing into his strength and ability.”
Victor Scott’s Transition and Expectations
Another young talent, Victor Scott II, was also demoted to AAA, and his situation was discussed extensively. Known for his speed and defensive skills, Scott has struggled offensively, which led to his optioning. The podcast touched on Scott’s need to improve his offensive output to match his excellent defensive capabilities.
“Once you start seeing him kind of spray the ball around the field, kind of get the ball a little bit more on the line, that’s really his game… that’s a sign that you know what Victor Scott was in 2023 is what he’s going to continue to be in 2024,” Guerrero said.
Insights on Minor League Standouts
The conversation also turned to other notable minor league players who are making waves within the Cardinals’ system. Thomas Saggese, who had a slow start at Triple-A, is now hitting with more consistency, showing signs of the potential that the Cardinals saw in him during spring training. Saggese’s versatility in the infield and improving batting stats were highlighted as positive signs.
Sem Robberse, another rising star in the Cardinals’ farm system, has shown impressive skills on the mound. With a strong start to the season, Robberse boasts a commendable ERA and a high strikeout rate, making him a player to watch as he continues to develop his pitching arsenal.
Joshua Baez, recognized for his “raw plus-plus power,” was mentioned as having a notable start to his season. Despite previous struggles with strikeouts, Baez’s recent performance suggests potential for significant development. His ability to convert contact into powerful hits could make him a critical asset for the Cardinals moving forward.
Want to hear the full podcast? Here’s that link again: