JUPITER, Fla. — The question welcoming Jordan Walker into his first career start in a Grapefruit League game was whether his timing from the back fields would catch up to the challenge of the main field this early in camp.
He announced his answer with authority.
Walker, the Cardinals' 20-year-old top prospect, crushed the first pitch he saw from All-Star right-hander Johnny Cueto for a three-run homer. The ball left Walker's bat at 108.9 mph, and it carried an estimated 430 feet over the center field wall, not too far from the Marlins' office building.
Walker's first homer of spring gave the Cardinals' a 5-0 lead in the top of the first inning against the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium.