The St. Louis Cardinals will have plenty of representation in the 2026 MLB Home Run Derby, with fans set to see some familiar faces. Former Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras, now with the Boston Red Sox, is among the participants, while current St. Louis slugger Jordan Walker has also earned a spot in the event.
Walker’s selection is especially meaningful given the rocky start to his major league career. After overcoming early challenges, the young outfielder has blossomed into one of the game’s rising stars. The Home Run Derby now gives him the opportunity to display his power and talent on one of baseball’s biggest national stages.
Cardinals coach Kleininger Teran revealed to ESPN’s Buster Olney the plan for Walker during the Home Run Derby. It’s a simple plan, but it should work for the right-handed slugger.
Cardinals coach reveals Jordan Walker’s Home Run Derby plan
Ahead of the Derby, Teran revealed the plan with Walker: “But we know what to do. I know where to put the ball — middle in.”
Jordan Walker’s approach for the Home Run Derby is simple and focused: he’s looking for pitches in the middle-in part of the strike zone. Rather than chasing balls on the outer edge or too far inside, Walker wants consistent pitches that allow him to unleash his natural power.
One interesting aspect of his strategy is that pitch height doesn’t appear to be a major concern. For the 6-foot-6 slugger, the vertical location of the pitch seems less important than having it over the middle-in section of the plate.
Ideally, Walker would prefer pitches that are not excessively high or low, maximizing the efficiency of his limited swings. Still, based on his comments, he’s unlikely to be overly selective about pitch height as long as the ball is delivered in his preferred middle-in location.
It’s also worth noting that Olney revealed that Walker and Teran, while they’ve discussed strategy, have been “without much in the way of formal practice.”
It might be a risk to head into the derby without practice, but it’s uncharted territory for Walker, and it might work out just fine in the end.
Walker has hit 22 home runs this season, already well past his previous season-high in his young MLB career of 16 homers during his rookie 2023 season.
The Cardinals slugger is heading into the MLB Home Run Derby in Citizens Bank Park in Philadelphia on Monday night without much practice, but with a straightforward plan: attack on middle-in pitches from Kleininger Teran.
