South Carolina baseball legend Christian Walker is one of the most underrated players in all of Major League Baseball. An All-Star snub on several occasions, Walker has become a very consistent offensive threat and one of the best defensive first basemen in the league with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
While he has not been given the kudos he deserves outside of D-Backs circles, one other MLB fanbase knows better than to underestimate Christian Walker. When #53 steps to the plate against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the fans of the Dodger blue, white, and red shudder.
Over the past few days, the Diamondbacks star has demonstrated something that Dodgers fans have known for quite a while: Christian Walker dominates the Dodgers, especially in LA.
In a three-game series from Tuesday through Thursday, Walker went 8-13 (he also reached base three times via walks) with 5 home runs, 1 double, 9 RBI, and 7 runs scored. Of his 22 home runs this season, 9 have come against the Dodgers (in just 9 games), and he has led his Diamondbacks to a winning record over their divisional rival despite playing 6 of those 9 games on the road.
Walker's hot hitting made him the first player in the history of the sport of baseball to hit 7 home runs in a 5-game span while playing on the road against the Dodgers. He also has the most road homers against the Dodgers since 2018 (even though he was hurt for a good chunk of 2021) as he has smacked 19 long balls at Chavez Ravine. His 9 homers against the Dodgers are the most by anyone; second place is a tie between several players, all of whom have hit just 3.
Christian Walker now has 19 career homers at Dodger Stadium 😮 pic.twitter.com/GPHgJK3Foi
— MLB (@MLB) July 5, 2024
While Walker has been a very good player for a long time, he is on pace for some career-best numbers in 2024. He was not voted into the MLB All-Star Game, but he still could be selected as a reserve, and as Dodgers fans can attest, he deserves it.