Christian Walker 2026 Player Outlook: Will the Decline Continue?
It seemed as though the end finally came for 34-year-old Christian Walker in 2025. His .238 AVG, .183 ISO, and .717 OPS were all his worst since 2021, and Walker played horrific defense last season, putting his job in jeopardy. The signs of decline are here for Walker as well. His strikeout rate spiked to 27.7%, his walk rate fell to 6.3%, and his bat speed was the lowest since the metric has been tracked by Statcast. Walker also had a brutal 44.2% whiff rate on breaking balls last season, by far a career high. Digging into the numbers, there just isn't a lot to like about Walker's game anymore. The good news for Walker is that Houston doesn't really have anyone to threaten his playing time. Unless he absolutely falls off a cliff (which is possible given his age and declining metrics) he will probably be their first baseman all season. That means he could probably give you 20-25 home runs and 75-85 RBI as a volume play. It'll probably come with a low batting average and intermittent slumps, but he could be there at the end of the season. He's currently going as the 186th pick in NFBC leagues, and that seems a little rich given all the red flags. Why take Walker when younger, more exciting players like Spencer Torkelson and Sal Stewart can be had cheaper?
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