Back in early 2023, optimism was the prevailing mood in St. Louis.

The Cardinals had just wrapped up a bitter Wild Card loss to the Phillies, sure-but with Paul Goldschmidt fresh off an MVP season and Nolan Arenado right on his heels, the future felt promising. Add in a top-tier prospect who was tearing up Double-A, and the buzz around Busch Stadium was real.

That prospect, of course, was Jordan Walker. A 6-foot-5 slugger with a .306 average and 19 homers in Double-A, Walker was ranked the No. 4 prospect in all of baseball by MLB Pipeline.

His arrival was hyped as the next big chapter in Cardinals baseball-a cornerstone talent who would anchor the lineup for years to come. Expectations were sky-high.

So high, in fact, that when a fan poll asked whether folks would be satisfied if Walker’s career mirrored that of former Cardinal J.D. Drew, nearly 60% said they’d be disappointed.

That’s a bold take, considering Drew posted a .278 career average with an .847 OPS and a 125 OPS+.

Fast forward to today, and the narrative around Walker has shifted dramatically. His early struggles have cooled the hype, and now, many fans would gladly take a Drew-like outcome if it meant some steady production. In a way, Walker’s rocky start has recalibrated expectations across Cardinals Nation-and that shift is playing out in real time with the team’s next big prospect: JJ Wetherholt.

Wetherholt, currently ranked No. 5 on MLB Pipeline’s 2026 Top Prospects list, is the new face of hope in St. Louis.

But the excitement surrounding his debut feels noticeably different from what we saw with Walker just a few years ago. There’s no overwhelming wave of hype this time.

Instead, there’s a cautious optimism, a sense that fans are trying not to get burned again.

A recent poll from 101 ESPN’s Brandon Kiley captured that mood perfectly. He asked fans whether they’d be satisfied if Wetherholt’s first seven years in the majors mirrored those of Bo Bichette-who just signed with the Mets after a productive stint in Toronto.

The response? Overwhelmingly positive.

Bichette, who’s hit .294 with an .806 OPS and a 121 OPS+ so far, doesn’t have Drew’s career numbers, but Cardinals fans seem more than content with that kind of output from Wetherholt.

That’s a notable shift. A few years ago, Bichette-level production might’ve been seen as underwhelming for a top Cardinals prospect.

Now, it feels like a realistic and welcome outcome. Part of that is due to Walker’s struggles.

But it also reflects the current state of the franchise.

In 2023, there was a clear window for contention. Goldschmidt and Arenado were still in their primes, and Walker was viewed as the final piece of a potential powerhouse trio.

Expectations were sky-high-not just for him, but for the team. Wetherholt, by contrast, is entering a very different situation.

The Cardinals are deep in a rebuild, with no true stars on the roster and no illusions of an imminent return to contention. That changes the calculus.

Wetherholt isn’t being asked to complete a championship puzzle; he’s being asked to help start a new one.

There’s also a difference in the scouting reports. Walker was seen as a potential superstar-high ceiling, huge upside, but with some risk.

Wetherholt, on the other hand, is more of a high-floor guy. His tools might not scream MVP, but he’s viewed as a polished hitter who can contribute consistently.

That steadiness might be exactly what the Cardinals need right now.

The emotional context matters, too. Coming off a 2022 season filled with promise, Cardinals fans were ready to believe in the next big thing.

Walker’s rapid rise-he skipped Triple-A entirely-only added fuel to the fire. But when he didn’t deliver right away, the disappointment hit hard.

Now, with the team in a much different place and the fanbase more guarded, Wetherholt enters with less fanfare but perhaps a better chance to grow into his role without the weight of sky-high expectations.

That might be a good thing.

The Cardinals are in a transitional phase. They’re not trying to plug a final hole on a contender-they’re trying to build a new core from the ground up.

Wetherholt is a key part of that process. And while fans may not be penciling him in as the next franchise icon just yet, they’re clearly hoping he can be a steady presence in a lineup that badly needs one.

If Walker’s rise and stumble taught Cardinals fans anything, it’s that projecting stardom is a risky game. But if Wetherholt can carve out a career that mirrors someone like Bichette-consistent, productive, and reliable-that would be a major win for a team trying to find its footing again.

The hope is still there. It just looks a little different now.