Cardinals vs. Rockies Tuesday MLB odds, props: Jordan Walker still not NL Rookie of Year leader, but heavily favored to extend historic hitting streak to 11 games

What more does St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jordan Walker have to do to become the National League Rookie of the Year betting favorite at Caesars Sportsbook? Despite a historic 10-game hitting streak to open his career, Walker remains the +400 second favorite for the award behind Arizona's Corbin Carroll (+300). Walker is priced -280 Tuesday at Colorado to extend that hitting streak to 11 (Over 0.5 hits is that price).

The Cardinals lost 7-4 at the Rockies on Monday to fall to 3-7, but Walker was 1-for-4 to become the first Cardinals rookie ever with a hit in 10 straight games to begin his career, and he passed Red Sox legend Ted Williams' MLB-record streak for a 20-year-old. Walker's streak by a player age 20 or younger is the longest to start a career since 1912 when Eddie Murphy hit safely in 12 in a row. Williams, Murphy and Walker are the only players age 20 to put together streaks of nine games or more since 1900.

The longest hitting streak to begin an MLB career is 17, accomplished by Chuck Aleno (1941 Reds) and David Dahl (2016 Rockies). Walker, who will be 21 next month, is batting .342 on the year with two homers, eight RBI and a .943 OPS.

"There have been some clutch situations where I haven't performed," he said. "But as of right now, at the plate, I feel like as long as I keep putting the ball in play, things will work out. That's kind of my mindset right now. It's just a small sample size. Pretty much just trying to keep putting the ball in play is really my focus."

Walker will face Rockies lefty Kyle Freeland for the first time Tuesday. He has been spectacular so far, winning both starts and allowing zero runs and just seven hits over 12.2 innings. 

A big reason for the Cardinals' struggles has been a rotation sporting a 5.96 ERA and averaging just over five innings per start. Miles Mikolas (0-1, 9.64 ERA) will get the ball for for St. Louis. He has allowed five earned in each of his first two outings. Mikolas suffered his worst career defeat in his most recent appearance at Colorado in 2022, allowing career-high 10 runs and 14 hits in 16-5 loss at Coors Field. His 2.2 innings pitched were the second-fewest in his 117 career starts.

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