Christian Walker became a top talent in Arizona and now plays in World Series

In most World Series we can probably find an ex-Oriole or two or three to watch play on baseball’s biggest stage. Among the former Birds in this World Series is one of the real good guys, Arizona first baseman Christian Walker. He has found a home in Arizona since they acquired him in March of 2017 and the last two years he has hit 69 homers.

While he has not had a great offensive performance this postseason, he is a middle-of-the-order fixture for the 2023 National League champs. When the Orioles were in Arizona in early September, I caught up with Walker, someone I had interview numerous times when he was trying to work his way through the O’s minors.

Baltimore drafted him in round four of 2012 out of the University of South Carolina, where he was on two NCAA championship clubs. He was often ranked among the O’s top 20 prospects and went as high as their No. 3 prospect in 2015 via Baseball America.

But with the Orioles he had Chris Davis in front of him at first base and when the club signed Davis to the long-term contract before the 2016 season that kind of sealed his fate with the organization. Walker wound up getting just 27 at-bats with the big club over parts of the 2014-2015 seasons. After the Davis contract was final, the club moved him to the outfield at Triple-A for the 2016 season. But that did not lead him back to Baltimore.

The Orioles DFA'd him on Feb. 21, 2017 and four days later Atlanta added him via waivers. About 10 days later, Cincinnati added him and about three weeks later, on March 28, 2017, Arizona claimed him off waivers. Yep, he was with four teams in about six weeks.

But he has been with the Diamondbacks ever since and since the 2019 season he has hit 115 homers with a .795 OPS. And a few weeks ago, there he was seeing his former organization in the other dugout.

“It’s cool playing against them,” Walker told me in September about facing the team that drafted him. “I’d say now the focus goes to more of them being a good, young, vibrant team. There are no hard feelings or anything. Different front office and staff now.”

But Walker told me he can still at times feel his O’s roots.

“A lot of those guys I still have relationships with. Even though some teammates and staff are in different places," he said. "I still get a chance to see, like, (former O’s coach) Bobby Dickerson and others who were early in my career professional relationships. To see guys around the league like Trey Mancini and Mike Yastrzemski. You know T.J. McFarland, we both came from Baltimore and ended up here at one point together (McFarland returned this year to the Orioles organization). When I think back to those days it’s more about the relationships than anything.”

A season after hitting 36 homers with 94 RBIs, this year Walker batted .258/.333/.497/.830 with 36 doubles, two triples, 33 homers and 103 RBIs. He finished sixth in the NL in extra-base hits, tied for 10^th in RBIs, tied for 11^th in homers and 16^th in OPS in the league.

Walker was one of just three first basemen in MLB this year to record 30 homers and 100 RBIs (also, Atlanta's Matt Olson and Pete Alonso of the Mets). He became the only first baseman since Paul Goldschmidt and Anthony Rizzo in 2015 to record 30+ homers, 100+ RBIs, 35+ doubles and 10+ stolen bases in a season.

And he was named the recipient of the Good Guy Award by the Arizona chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America. That part I can truly understand.

When we talked in Arizona, I found a player very proud of the defensive player he has become as well. He won a Gold Glove Award and a Fielding Bible Award in 2022. He just won another Fielding Bible award for this year when he ranked among the tops at first base in Defensive Runs Saved and Outs Above Average. He is a Gold Glove finalist for this year in the NL.

Walker told me he takes pride in being a good two-way player for Arizona.

“It means a lot. I’m proud of that," Walker said. "A lot of hard work, a lot of reps and I feel like I’m still growing and learning. There are a lot of at-bats to still get and learn from. I feel fortunate and blessed.”