Jordan Walker’s 2026 breakout has put him squarely in the All-Star conversation, but one prediction from Bleacher Report’s Zachary D. Rymer leaves the St. Louis Cardinals outfielder on the outside looking in.
Rymer’s forecast has JJ Wetherholt making the NL All-Star team, which fits the way his season has gone. Wetherholt has been excellent, and his chances to earn an All-Star spot look strong as one of the best second basemen in MLB. Walker, though, is the one who gets squeezed out in the prediction despite putting together a season that has him among the league’s top outfielders.
The outfield starters Rymer projects are Juan Soto, Brandon Marsh, and Michael Harris II, all of whom are in Phase 2 of fan voting. The reserve group is where Walker gets left behind. Rymer’s three NL outfield reserve spots go to Pete Crow-Armstrong, Corbin Carroll, and James Wood.
That leaves Walker without a place on the roster in the prediction, even though there’s no hard cap on how many outfielders can be named to an All-Star team. Based on what he’s done so far, he looks like exactly the kind of player who should be included.
Heading into July 3, Walker has 3.2 bWAR, which ranks eighth among NL position players. He also has 93 hits, 49 runs scored, 16 doubles, 19 homers, 63 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, 26 walks, a .291 batting average, and an .864 OPS. His 63 RBIs lead the NL.
Those numbers make the omission stand out even more. Walker has been one of the best position players in baseball this season, and there’s a strong argument that he belongs on the NL All-Star team over Wood, if not alongside him.
If Walker does end up missing the game, it would be a major snub. Based on the season he’s putting together, he has done more than enough to earn a spot.
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