Taijuan Walker’s tenure with the Philadelphia Phillies has been a disappointment.
The Phillies signed Walker to a four-year, $72 million deal ahead of the 2023 season, viewing him as an experienced back-end rotation starter who could eat innings. After making the All-Star team in 2021 and posting a 3.49 ERA in 29 starts during his final season with the New York Mets in 2022, expectations were high.
In his first year with Philadelphia, Walker made 31 starts with a 4.38 ERA across 172 2/3 innings, but second-half struggles left him off the postseason roster. His 2024 season proved disastrous. Battling shoulder and finger injuries, Walker faltered when on the mound and was eventually demoted to the bullpen. He finished the year with a 7.10 ERA in 19 games (15 starts).
This offseason, the Phillies placed Walker on a specialized training program to increase his velocity, as he wasn’t guaranteed a roster spot heading into 2025. While his fastball improved, his final two spring training outings left much to be desired.
Despite these concerns, the Phillies kept him on their roster and moved him back into the starting rotation due to Ranger Suárez’s balky back. During team introductions at Monday’s home opener, Walker was roundly booed by the Philadelphia faithful.
But Thursday gave fans reason to cheer—and Walker’s mother reason to cry tears of joy.
Taijuan Walker’s mom left crying during outing against Colorado Rockies
Walker delivered six strong innings against the Colorado Rockies, surrendering just three hits and no runs while striking out four and walking one. When he left the mound, the same crowd that had booed him days earlier rose for a standing ovation.
“She texted me a billion times,” Walker told The Athletic’s Matt Gelb about his mother, Nellie Garcia. “Just super proud, super happy. She said she was up there crying the whole time.”
Taijuan Walker is fired up after going six scoreless against the Rockies 😤
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) April 3, 2025
(via @Phillies)pic.twitter.com/bcCqqqSUMJ
The scene marked a dramatic turnaround from last season when Garcia shed tears of sadness hearing her son booed by the home crowd.
Walker’s future in the rotation remains uncertain, as Suárez is expected to return later this month. But for one night, the Phillies and their fans witnessed Walker at his best.
