Christian Walker is the main run producer in the Diamondbacks lineup. In 83 games this season, Walker is batting .256 with 17 home runs and 53 RBI. He’s on pace for his third straight 30 home run, 90 RBI, and 120 wRC+ season.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Not only is the year-to-year consistency remarkable over the past three seasons, especially at an age where most players start to fall off a cliff, but his overall performance at the plate also drives the team’s success. When Christian Walker records an extra-base hit, the Diamondbacks are 24-5 this season with 6.3 runs per game. When he records at least one RBI, they’re 25-8 with 6.7 runs per game. In the 12 games he’s driven in multiple runs, they’re a perfect 12-0 and scoring 9.2 runs per game. The bigger impact Walker has at the plate, the more runs Arizona scores.
Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo praised his first baseman and cleanup hitter in the pregame media session before their game on June 13. PHNX Diamondbacks posted the video on X.
“He’s a very stabilizing personality, it’s just who he is at his core,” said Lovullo. “He’s a very stable at-bat and he’s a very dependable defender. I think it just fits who he is. It doesn’t surprise me that’s what he represents inside of this lineup. That’s what he brings to the clubhouse the minutes he walks in there.”
Torey Lovullo on Christian Walker:
"If I was going to teach somebody to swing, I would tell them to watch Christian Walker." pic.twitter.com/WbHaIyBaDz
— PHNX Diamondbacks (@PHNX_Dbacks) June 14, 2024
It comes as no surprise that Walker’s success is often tied to the team’s, as the Diamondbacks’ lineup is constructed to give him the most RBI opportunities. Batting cleanup in every one of his starts since 2022, he’s consistently batting behind Corbin Carroll and Ketel Marte. Both players have a variety of ways to get on base and serve as a distraction on the bases ahead of the Diamondbacks’ slugger. Walker has driven in Marte 13 times and Carroll seven times this season out of his 53 RBI.
With as big an impact on the Diamondbacks’ success as Walker has, there’s an argument that he should represent the team at the 2024 MLB All-Star Game along with Ketel Marte. He was facing an uphill battle to get in, but a hamstring injury for Bryce Harper may open the door for him to get in as an injury replacement. It will depend on how well he places on the player ballots. Should he rank third behind Harper and the Dodgers’ Freddie Freeman, he would be the next player on the list and tabbed as the replacement. That’s what happened with Geraldo Perdomo at shortstop last season.
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Michael McDermott covers the Arizona Diamondbacks and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @MichaelMcDMLB
