Cardinals' Walker Named All-MLB, While Burleson Snubbed at First Base

Already a first-time MLB All-Star and a Home Run Derby champion, St. Louis Cardinals’ standout outfielder Jordan Walker capped his finest MLB season with another distinguished title on Wednesday night: All-MLB.

Walker, 24, was named second-team All-MLB on Wednesday night at the MLB Awards Show in Las Vegas. It is the first such honor in the four-year MLB career for Walker, who pushed aside three seasons of struggles and performed at an All-Star level throughout the 2026 season.

Walker was joined on the second-team All-MLB outfield squad by Mariners standout and former Cardinal Randy Arozarena and Washington Nationals outfielder James Wood.

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio, Chicago Cubs star center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong and San Diego Padres superstar Fernando Tatis Jr. were chosen to the All-MLB first-team squad.

Walker set career highs in games played (158), runs scored (97), hits (164), doubles (33), home runs (29), RBI (102), strikeouts (174), walks (50), stolen bases (22), slugging (.466) and OPS (.793). Walker also hit .269 and posted a .327 on-base percentage – his highest totals since his rookie season in 2023. Additionally, he became the first Cardinals player since Tommy Pham in 2017 with at least 20 home runs and 20 stolen bases.

Alec Burleson, who became the first Cardinals player to lead MLB in RBI in 55 years, was a nominee at first base. However, he lost out on the honor to Baltimore Orioles star Pete Alonso (first team) and Boston Red Sox and former Cardinal Willson Contreras (second team).

Alonso had 24 doubles, 43 homers and 113 RBI, while slashing .267/.363/.522/.885 in 161 games. Contreras, who was traded from St. Louis to Boston last December, had 21 doubles, 27 homers and 81 RBI, while slashing .275/.386/.516/.902 in 130 games. By comparison, Burleson had 37 doubles, 26 homers, 116 RBI while slashing .279/.343/.473/.816 in 160 games. Burleson also led MLB in hits and doubles with runners in scoring position in 2026.

After bouncing back and forth between the Cardinals and Triple-A Memphis in each of his first three MLB seasons, Walker looked like a much more balanced and confident hitter at the plate. He homered just once in his first seven games of the season and then he went on a tear with seven long balls in nine games.

Walker was named an All-Star for the first time in his career by getting to the break with a .294 batting average, 22 homers, 74 RBI and 13 stolen bases. He then put on a performance for the ages in the MLB Home Run Derby, mashing long balls on his final six swings to defeat hometown hero Kyle Schwarber in Philadelphia.

Walker, who also showed major improvements defensively and recorded nine outfield assists, could have posted even more impressive hitting numbers if not for a rough finish after the Cardinals were eliminated from Wild Card contention. Over his final 24 games in September, Walker hit just .172 with two homers, five RBI and 35 strikeouts compared to seven walks.