This St. Louis Cardinals roster decision will irritate Chicago Cubs fans

Mar 26, 2023; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker walks on
Mar 26, 2023; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker walks on / Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
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The St. Louis Cardinals announced over the weekend that their top prospect, outfielder Jordan Walker, will make their Major League roster out of Spring Training and that is news that should irritate Chicago Cubs fans.

Walked dominated in Spring Training with the Cardinals this season as he slashed .279/.300/.485 with 3 home runs and 5 doubles in 65 plate appearances. Walker is skipping Triple-A entirely as during the 2022 season, Walked played exclusively in Double-A where he slashed .306/.388/.510 while hitting 19 home runs and stealing 22 bases.

Any time the Cardinals have a rookie make their Major League debut, Cubs fans are programmed to roll their eyes as it is inevitable that said rookie becomes an instant Cub-killer. For the Cubs, Walker will be adding insult to injury.

Walker was selected 21st overall by the Cardinals in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft. 20 teams passed on Walker in the 2020 Major League Baseball draft and one of those teams was none other than the Cubs. In the 2020 draft, the Cubs took Chicago-native, shortstop Ed Howard with the 16th overall selection.

At the time, the Cubs selection of Howard appeared to be fueled by reasons that were not all related to the type of player that Howard could be on the field for the team. It appeared that the Cubs opted for the feel good story of selecting a local kid turned MLB prospect despite the questions that were prevalent regarding how Howard's offensive approach would translate to Major League Baseball.

Next. Miles Mastrobuoni has thrived in Spring Training with the Cubs. dark

Entering 2023, those questions have only grown louder for the Cubs and Howard. Through his first three professional seasons, Howard is slashing .229/.287/.315 in 419 plate appearances and a hip injury ended his 2022 season a month after it just began. Howard is fully healthy entering this season but his prospect future is cloudy at the best. Meanwhile, the Cubs and their fans may be forced to witness the emergence of another Cardinals' star this season in Walker.