Words by Cheats - Founder
PHILADELPHIA - Jordan Walker, the 2026 Home Run Derby Champion and breakout star of All-Star week, was optioned to the minor leagues in both his rookie and sophomore seasons with the Cardinals.
At the end of his 2024 All-Star season, the Nationals’ CJ Abrams was demoted by the club for non-performance, “internal reasons”.
At the start of his 2025 NL Rookie of the Year season, Drake Baldwin was considered borderline to even make the Braves’ opening day roster entering spring training.
After being named to his first All-Star Game in 2025, James Wood batted .210 with a 39% strikeout rate for the remainder of the 2025 season.
In 2026, Wood and Abrams were back at the All-Star Game. Abrams, 25, was elected as an NL starter by the fans. Wood, 23, has now made back-to-back All-Star Games and has set the Nationals franchise single-season record with 10 leadoff home runs. Baldwin, 25, was elected to his first All-Star Game and voted by the fans as the starting catcher. Baldwin is the first African-American catcher to start the All-Star Game since the Twins’ Earl Battey in 1965. And Jordan Walker, 24, has morphed into one of the game’s most dangerous hitters.
While each player was highly touted as a prospect entering the Major Leagues, each, faced their own tribulations on the path to the 2026 All-Star Game in Philadelphia.
Is Jordan Walker the New Face of Black Baseball?
Walker’s transformation is glaring and the most tailor-made for a feel-good Disney movie. The 6-foot 6-inch, right-handed slugger was labeled the next McGuire-style power hitter before he was legally able to buy a beer. Drafted by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2020 draft, Walker was stamped as a can’t-miss by most scouts and league officials. Despite some early success in his rookie season, the Cardinals saw issues with his swing that they wanted to correct immediately. The organization was playing the long game with its top prospect, despite sharp criticism from the Cardinals’ fanbase and media outlets (including this platform).
The Cardinals’ calculation has paid off in a big way in 2026. Walker is batting .294 with 22 home runs, 74 RBIs, 13 stolen bases, and an .887 OPS. And for the baseball savants of the world, Walker’s rWAR is 3.8. “I just think of the road to get here,” Walker told Cheats of the Black Baseball Mixtape. He went on to say, “Last year at this time, I was rehabbing in double-A. I was waking up and getting to the ballpark at 8:30 AM and working out for two hours in the cage, and [my swing] just wasn’t feeling right. There was a lot of frustration there, so to see where I am now, a year later, it means the world to me, and it’s a credit to the work put in over the last three years.”
Walker has the potential to be a breakout baseball star. He has a Judge-like stature and a charming presence. He’s what the old-heads call an old soul. And with him every step of the way is his support system: Walker’s parents (Derek and Katrina), grandmother (Normarene Merritt), girlfriend, and close friends. They were all in Citizens Bank Park on Monday night when Walker silenced the Philly faithful by hitting six consecutive home runs to win the 2026 Home Run Derby. Walker hopes to keep the momentum going into the second half of the season. The Cardinals are currently one game behind the Marlins for the final NL playoff spot.
Two of the “Black Nats” take Center Stage in Philly
The Washington Nationals have four Black players who are consistently penciled into their lineup: Daylen Lile, Nasim Nunez, who currently leads MLB with 34 stolen bases, 2X All-Star James Wood, and 2X All-Star CJ Abrams.
“We’re a tight group,” Abrams told Cheats. “We come into the clubhouse every day and enjoy the work. We take it day by day with each other.”
Both Wood and Abrams are having monster offensive years. Wood is batting .279 with 28 home runs, 64 RBIs, 15 stolen bases, and a .984 OPS. His rWAR is 4.2. Abrams is batting .275 with 20 home runs, 67 RBIs, and 15 stolen bases. His rWar is 2.9. The Nationals are a scrappy team that, at 48-49, is hoping to make a push for playoff glory this season. It will be the first time the Nats have made the playoffs since their 2019 World Series win.
Even with the success of Abrams and Wood, there were questions about them heading into the 2026 season. Could Wood bounce back from a terrible second half? Does Abrams have the leadership qualities to captain a playoff team? “Leadership is earned,” Nationals President of Baseball Operations Paul Toboni told the Mixtape during his first media press conference of Spring Training. “I’m still getting to know the players, but from my experience, it’s the players who are in the building early and stay late who are the ones the team gravitates towards. It’s the players who decide who leads them,” he said via video conference. “Time will tell if CJ and James are those players, but I’m excited to see how they develop as leaders.”
Abrams and Wood are answering all the questions on the field, but that brings new questions off the field, mainly the talk of contract extensions. Abrams told the Mixtape how much he loves playing in DC. “It’s really fun. The fans are electric; I’m just looking forward to bringing more wins back home.” There was no talk of contracts.
Wood has moved into the face of the franchise status. The young, lefty power hitter also happens to be a hometown hero, hailing from nearby Rockville, MD. It will be nearly impossible for the Nationals to keep them both, but, for now, they have a long leash with team control: Abrams becomes a free agent after the 2029 season, and Wood after 2030.
Baldwin was Surprised by his Historic Status
Drake Baldwin was surprised to learn that he would be the first African American starting catcher of an All-Star game since 1965. “It’s crazy to hear that,” Baldwin told the Mixtape at All-Star media availability before the Home Run Derby. “Obviously, there are not many African American catchers - so it’s about teaching the position and being able to show kids who are African American the position, and hopefully there are more in the future. I’m excited that Vahn Lackey from Georgia Tech was drafted high, and I hope to see more.”
Baldwin’s emergence during his rookie season was a surprise to most. His preseason odds of winning Rookie of the Year were set at +2000. It was only due to Sean Murphy’s fractured rib that he secured his spot in the Braves’ starting lineup on Opening Day 2025. But once Baldwin got his foot in the door, the rest was history.
Baldwin was one of five Braves to make the All-Star team, joining Ozzie Albies in the NL starting lineup, voted on by the fans. Baldwin is batting .254 with 15 home runs, 46 RBIs, and a 1.5 rWAR. Like Walker and Wood, Baldwin is another young star who holds pre-arbitration status and will not be a free agent until after the 2030 season. But unlike most MLB organizations, the Braves have a reputation for signing their young phenoms early and to long-term extensions. Michael Harris and Ronald Acuna both signed early extensions and will be in ATL until at least 2029. Will Baldwin be next?
When asked about the clubhouse in Atlanta, Baldwin said, “The Braves are good at bringing everyone together. We have a really good clubhouse. When you’re a baseball player, you get very comfortable with your teammates. You are all doing the same things and have the same goal of winning games.”
In total, there were seven players with African American heritage selected for the 2026 All-Star Game. Aaron Judge and Buxton did not play in the game due to injury. Chase Burns, the right-handed flamethrower for the Cincinnati Reds, did not pitch. Buxton and Burns were present in Philly, participated in media availability, and walked the All-Star Red Carpet. Baldwin, Abrams, Wood, and Walker played in the game but were shut out on hits. The final score of the game was 4-0 in the American League.
The numbers alone don’t tell the complete story of what took place in Philadelphia. Black culture was front and center: from the music to the fashion to the community activities to the food. And with Black players, of every diaspora, on the field, the Midsummer Classic felt worthy of America’s 250th anniversary.
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