Christian Walker Is Having a Righteous Stroll Yr

He is probably not enjoying in Arlington tonight, however Christian Walker simply wrapped up an All-Star stage first half. The Diamondbacks first baseman got here into the All-Star break ranked third within the Nationwide League with 22 dwelling runs, fifth with 66 RBI, and among the many high 15 certified batters in wOBA (.357), xwOBA (.365), and wRC+ (131). His 10 OAA are third-most amongst NL fielders, whereas his 7 DRS, 4.1 UZR, and eight FRV are all the highest marks at his place. Because of his spectacular defensive efficiency, the two-time Gold Glove winner is the one certified NL first baseman who has supplied optimistic defensive worth at first regardless of the hefty positional adjustment. On high of that, he has performed in all 97 of Arizona’s video games thus far, placing him on tempo for greater than 700 plate appearances this season.

Add his offense, protection, and sturdiness collectively and also you get 2.9 WAR, which locations Walker within the high 15 amongst NL place gamers and high 30 within the majors. Contemplating that 46 place gamers had been invited to the Midsummer Traditional this yr, it’s laborious to disclaim that Walker is having an All-Star worthy season. On the identical time, it’s additionally laborious to get too fired to up about his “snub.” Bryce Harper and Freddie Freeman have put up superior offensive numbers and WAR totals, rightfully incomes the 2 assured spots for first basemen on the NL roster. As well as, three NL gamers with extra WAR and arguably even stronger All-Star instances than Walker had been additionally left off the squad: Francisco Lindor, Brandon Nimmo, and Willy Adames. Lastly, this isn’t even essentially the most disappointing time Walker has missed out on a visit again to Globe Life Subject inside the previous 10 months. Nonetheless, it’s a disgrace that Walker’s wonderful first half will go unrewarded. At 33 years previous, the late bloomer is placing collectively the perfect season of his profession on the plate and within the subject. Absolutely, that deserves to be celebrated.

At this level, Walker is used to being underestimated. He has been a regression candidate because the second he first tasted massive league success. Following his breakout rookie season in 2019 (111 wRC+, 3.0 WAR) ZiPS projected a step again in ’20; as Dan Szymborski put it, “The projections aren’t utterly bought on Christian Walker, nonetheless seeing him as a league-average first baseman.”

It’s not obscure why ZiPS was skeptical of Walker. At 29 years previous, he had just one profitable main league season underneath his belt, and no projection system might anticipate him to keep up his ridiculous defensive numbers at first base. ZiPS wasn’t incorrect, both, as he took a big step again in 2020 and a fair greater step again in ’21. Thus, the system was nonetheless skeptical of Walker after his second breakout season in 2022. Though Walker slugged 36 dwelling runs, led first basemen with 14 OAA, and completed with 4.0 WAR, Dan included him on his checklist of ZiPS bust hitters coming into 2023, describing him as “clearly not a star, only a good league-average first baseman coming off a peak yr.” But, lo and behold, Walker nearly completely replicated his 2022 season in ’23. He completed with a 120 wRC+ and three.9 WAR, whereas deservedly successful his second Gold Glove in as a few years. To be clear, I don’t convey this as much as dunk on ZiPS, however relatively to exhibit what number of occasions Walker has exceeded expectations in his uncommon profession.

Certainly, ZiPS underestimated Walker as soon as once more heading into 2024; he has already surpassed his preseason 2.7 WAR projection in line with ZiPS Depth Charts. Nevertheless, the truth that projection programs (and ZiPS is hardly the one one) preserve promoting Walker quick is a function, not a bug. projection system isn’t going to anticipate a career-best efficiency from a participant as he enters his mid-30s. Projections programs are constructed on historic comps, and Walker has defied the everyday development of a serious league profession. In his age-33 season, he’s on tempo for career-highs in plate appearances, video games performed, dwelling runs, RBI, runs scored, wOBA, xwOBA, wRC+, OAA, FRV, and WAR:

When Walker spoke to David Laurila forward of the 2023 season, he defined how “knowledge and laborious numbers” have helped him belief his course of throughout troublesome stretches. Lacking out on an All-Star nod amid what could possibly be the perfect season of his profession is definitely disappointing, however so long as he focuses on the information and laborious numbers, he needs to be nothing however happy together with his first-half efficiency.

Underlying Walker’s career-best 131 wRC+ is a career-best 103.4 EV50 (the common exit velocity of the toughest 50% of his batted balls) and a career-best 36.3% sweet-spot fee, leading to a career-best 15.7% barrel fee. He has additionally elevated his pull fee and lowered his reverse subject fee on fly balls. In truth, almost all of his extra-base hits have been pulled this yr, which stands out in comparison with final yr, when he sprayed the ball to all fields:

This might be a warning signal that Walker is promoting out to drag extra fastballs as he ages. Nevertheless, I’m not seeing many different indications of age-related decline. His bat pace is elite (92nd percentile), and his whiff fee stays primarily unchanged from final season. Furthermore, he has accomplished extra harm on curveballs (+4 run worth, per Baseball Savant), changeups (+4), and sweepers (+4) than he has on all different pitches this season. That’s not what you’d anticipate from a hitter sitting fastball.

That stated, Walker is putting out noticeably extra typically this season (25.2%) than he did in 2023 (19.2%), to the purpose that no certified NL batter has seen a bigger enhance in strikeout fee. Nevertheless, it’s laborious to fret an excessive amount of about this growth after taking a look at Walker’s underlying plate self-discipline knowledge. Each his whiff fee (misses as a proportion of swings) and his swinging-strike fee (swings and misses as a proportion of all pitches) are ever so barely down from final season. So is his chase fee. What’s extra, his first-pitch strike fee is down from 60.2% to 55.7%. Solely three certified NL batters have seen a decrease fee of first-pitch strikes this season, and no NL batter has began extra plate appearances forward within the rely. As you’d anticipate, Walker has accomplished fairly effectively for himself when he begins out 1-0, posting a 186 wRC+. Sadly, he has been worse than in previous years when he will get into an 0-1 gap (75 wRC+). However that’s been occurring much less typically, so the tradeoff actually appears to be value it.

All that is to say, I’m inclined to consider Walker’s rising strikeout fee is the results of aware decision-making on the plate relatively than an incapacity to maintain up with opposing pitchers. Think about this: Walker has been way more more likely to whiff with two strikes this season than he was in 2022 or ’23, but his wOBA, xwOBA, and run worth in two-strike counts are all greater this yr than in some other full season. My apologies when you’re bored with studying about all of the methods through which Walker is having a career-best season, however you’re going to should take that up with the person himself.

As luck would have it, Walker is having fun with this wonderful season together with his first foray into free company on the horizon. Thus, his title has come up in a little bit of commerce hypothesis; earlier this month, Jon Heyman known as Walker the Astros’ “dream goal” forward of the deadline. It appears unlikely that the reigning NL champs would promote this summer season, particularly not now that they’re again above .500 and only a recreation behind the Mets for the ultimate wild card spot, nevertheless it’s value mentioning that on July 1 basic supervisor Mike Hazen wouldn’t commit to purchasing when requested about his deadline plans. Maybe the truth that his staff has gone 8-5 since his feedback has modified his thoughts, however then once more, a shedding streak after the All-Star break might swing the pendulum again in the other way. Even when the Diamondbacks don’t purchase on the deadline, I’d anticipate them to face pat. Their greatest guess could possibly be to hope that Corbin Carroll turns his season round and veteran starters Jordan Montgomery, Eduardo Rodriguez, and Merrill Kelly return robust and wholesome from the IL. Nevertheless, if issues go particularly poorly within the 10 video games between the All-Star break and the deadline, maybe Hazen will be swayed by a powerful sufficient supply for Walker. In any case, Walker could possibly be the perfect rental and one of many few impression bats obtainable on a vendor’s market.

Nonetheless, the extra probably end result is that Walker stays with the D-backs come July 31. In that case, the staff will certainly lengthen him a qualifying supply after the season, and he’ll nearly absolutely decline, setting himself as much as check free company for the primary time.

I discover it greater than slightly irritating {that a} participant who made his MLB debut at 23 years previous in 2014 is not going to change into a free agent till the 2024-25 offseason, forward of his age-34 marketing campaign. Most gamers in an analogous scenario would have misplaced their peak incomes years to the substitute constraints of the arbitration system. Nevertheless, in Walker’s uncommon case, he would possibly simply be reaching free company on the excellent second. Throughout spring coaching, he advised The Arizona Republic’s Nick Piecoro how proud he’s to really feel like he’ll have authentic leverage to wield as a free agent: “It’s a way of accomplishment… We now have the ball in our courtroom. It hasn’t at all times felt that approach.” And that was earlier than he put collectively the perfect first-half efficiency of his profession.

Christian Walker may not be an All-Star, however he’s enjoying the perfect baseball of his profession, and he’s setting himself up properly without spending a dime company this winter.