Christian Walker: The Ultimate D-backs Perseverance Story
Christian Walker overcame a lot of adversity and uncertainty in his career to leave an undeniable legacy in Diamondbacks lore.
Christian Walker will be making his return to Chase Field tonight when the Houston Astros take on the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Most fans are well aware of Walker’s story, the waiver wire pickup that successfully replaced a future Hall of Famer at first base. Not only on the field, but as a player who led by example. One of my only regrets covering the team the last three years was that I never had the chance to talk to him and pick his brain.
It’s that type of story that made Walker my favorite player on the team over the last six years, although I already knew how good he was from his time in college when South Carolina took on Arizona in the College World Series Finals in 2012. I was a freshman at U of A that year and watching the Wildcats complete a perfect run to the title at the time.
Perhaps the most defining trait that defined his career in Arizona was his passion for the game and the accountability he brought to the team. No matter how he was doing, he always showed up. That meant being the first person to take ground balls, showing up to speak to the media, and setting a high but necessary standard in the clubhouse. That was one of the driving factors to a successful playoff run in 2023, even if he wasn’t the catalyst in terms of on-field production.
When the D-backs traded Paul Goldschmidt, a six-time All-Star and the best homegrown talent in the organization’s history, there was no certainty that Walker was the guy. In fact, he started the season on the short side of a first base platoon with Jake Lamb. After Lamb suffered an injury just one week into the season, the position opened up for Walker to take over. He didn’t let go of the job until the day he left the organization.
Walker’s production, as both a slugger and defender, softened the blow of trading a franchise icon and future Hall of Famer. He won three Gold Gloves in a row, tied for the most in franchise history, while crushing 146 home runs. He recorded back-to-back 30 home run seasons and drove in a career-high 103 runs in 2023.
His biggest hit of that season came against arguably the best closer in baseball at the time in Devin Williams. Walker worked back in the count against Williams before turning around a fastball and putting a hole in the center field wall to drive home two.
Arizona had been desperately clinging onto a 4-3 lead for the majority of the game, and that rocket (112 MPH exit velocity) iced both the game and set the tone for the rest of that Wild Card series. Fans may remember him struggling against Philadelphia and Texas, and how that may have cost them a potential title, but they should also remember that hit as the one that started their run.
Another endearing trait for Walker was his ownership of the Los Angeles Dodgers, a franchise hated by D-backs fans alike. While the hatred and rivalry might not be reciprocated by the Dodgers, it was always a treat to watch him stick it to them.
He crushed five home runs against Clayton Kershaw, the most dominant lefty since Randy Johnson. He hit the third of four home runs in an inning against Lance Lynn, effectively sealing what was a cathartic and dominant postseason sweep of the Dodgers. Every year, he turns Dodger Stadium into his own personal Home Run Derby, with 21 homers in 45 games. In fact, he homered in six straight games there, with the first five coming in an Arizona uniform.
Following a breakthrough 2019 season that earned him the first base job long-term, Walker had a solid 2020 but hit a low point in 2021. With oblique injuries massively hindering his swing and production at the plate, along with the arrival of Pavin Smith, it seemed like his time was running short. In typical Christian Walker fashion, he rewrote the history books. He broke out in 2022, setting career-highs in just about every underlying metric and finishing the year with 36 home runs and his first Gold Glove. That started a dominant three-year run in which he hit 95 home runs and accumulated 11.3 bWAR in 447 games.
Walker gave the D-backs a nice parting gift. After declining the $21.05 million qualifying offer, he signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the Astros. That netted the organization the No. 29 pick in the draft, which turned into Louisville pitcher Patrick Forbes. I currently have Forbes as the No. 2 pitching prospect in the organization after his signing was reported yesterday.
With Walker heading back to Chase Field, we as a fan base should show our appreciation for what he meant to the team over the past six seasons. That means a standing ovation when he steps in the box for the first time, hopefully in the second inning. I’ll be at tonight’s game doing the same.
D-backs Under Review is Michael McDermott’s publication for deep analysis dives, game coverage, prospect coverage, and breaking down the biggest news topics involving the Arizona Diamondbacks. Michael has been writing about the D-backs since the 2015 season, with stops at AZ Snake Pit, Diamondbacks On SI, Venom Strikes, and Burn City Sports. He has covered over 40 MLB games at Chase Field and the Arizona Fall League.
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