St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker hopes each of the 12 balls that cleared the fences in Monday's dramatic Home Run Derby victory can be a launching pad for more Black kids to take up the game of baseball.
Walker hit six consecutive home runs in the final at Citizens Bank Park to edge hometown favorite Kyle Schwarber of the Philadelphia Phillies and win $1 million, which is more than his 2026 salary of $799,400.
While the personal accolades are nice, Walker, 24, said after the contest that he hopes that it inspires more Black kids to follow in his footsteps.
"I mean, I hope it means a lot to them. I want to be a role model for the Black kids, you know, and I want more Black kids in baseball," said Walker, who hit a total of 31 home runs on his 50 swings over three rounds. "Hopefully this raises some awareness."
Making mom and dad proud. This moment Jordan's parents watched him win the Home Run Derby is everything 🥹@Cardinals pic.twitter.com/V4GVBdZOwl
— MLBPA (@MLBPA) July 14, 2026
For the first time in at least 20 years, the percentage of Black players on MLB active and inactive lists on Opening Day increased in back-to-back years, going from 6% in 2024 to 6.2% in 2025 and then to 6.8% this season. The year-over-year increase from 2025 to this season was MLB's largest since a 0.7% increase from 2017 to 2018.
The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport at Central Florida issued annual studies that showed the percentage was 18% when its reports started in 1991.
"I know a lot of them are playing basketball, football route, but I want them to know the baseball route is open to them, too," Walker said. "And there are a lot of kids that are athletic enough and mentally strong enough -- Black kids that can play this game -- and I want to see them do it."