# Christian Walker

Christian Dickson Walker (born March 28, 1991) is an American professional baseball first baseman for the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball (MLB). He has previously played in MLB for the Baltimore Orioles and Arizona Diamondbacks. Considered one of the best defensive first basemen in the majors, Walker is a three-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Walker played college baseball for the South Carolina Gamecocks and won the College World Series in 2010 and 2011. Walker was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 MLB draft by the Orioles and made his MLB debut with the team in 2014. He was later claimed off waivers in 2017 by the Diamondbacks and became their regular first baseman after Paul Goldschmidt was traded following the 2018 season. Walker helped the Diamondbacks win the National League pennant in 2023. After becoming a free agent following the 2024 season, he signed a three-year deal with the Astros.

## Amateur career

Walker attended Kennedy-Kenrick Catholic High School in Norristown, Pennsylvania. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 49th round of the 2009 Major League Baseball draft, but did not sign. Walker attended the University of South Carolina and played college baseball for the South Carolina Gamecocks from 2010 to 2012. While there, he helped the Gamecocks win the College World Series in 2010 and 2011. He also helped the team reach the 2012 College World Series, where they lost to the Arizona Wildcats. He finished tied with Dustin Ackley for most career hits in the College World Series. Overall in his career at South Carolina, he played in 206 games and hit 336/.427/.533 with 30 home runs and 137 runs batted in. In 2011, he played collegiate summer baseball with the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League.

## Professional career
### Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles selected Walker in the fourth round of the 2012 Major League Baseball draft. He made his debut for the Aberdeen IronBirds. He played in 22 games and hit .284/.376/.420 with two home runs. Walker started 2013 with the Delmarva Shorebirds. In May he was promoted to the Frederick Keys. In July he played in the All-Star Futures Game. After the game he was promoted to the Double-A Bowie Baysox. He finished the year playing in 103 games and hit .300/.362/.453 with 11 home runs. Walker started 2014 back with Bowie.
On September 17, 2014, Walker was called up to the Orioles from the Triple–A Norfolk Tides. He made his major league debut later that day. Facing Toronto Blue Jays pitcher J. A. Happ, Walker hit a double for his first major league hit. On September 20, Walker had his first multi-hit game, including his first career major league home run, off Boston Red Sox starter, Rubby De La Rosa. In 6 games during his rookie campaign, he went 3-for-18 (.167) with 1 home run and 1 RBI. Walker played in 7 games for the Orioles in 2015, going 1-for-9 (.111) with 3 walks.
Walker did not appear for the Orioles in 2016, instead spending the year with the Triple-A Norfolk. In 131 appearances for Norfolk, he slashed .264/.321/.437 with 18 home runs and 64 RBI. On February 21, 2017, Walker was designated for assignment by the Orioles following the acquisition of Richard Bleier.

### Arizona Diamondbacks

On March 6, 2017, the Cincinnati Reds claimed Walker off waivers. The Atlanta Braves also put a waiver claim on Walker, but lost due to the order.
On March 28, 2017, Walker was waived by the Reds and claimed off waivers by the Arizona Diamondbacks. On March 30, he was removed from the 40-man roster and sent outright to the Triple-A Reno Aces of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). He was selected as the 2017 PCL Most Valuable Player after hitting .309/.382/.597 with 32 home runs and 114 RBI in 133 games for Reno. On September 10, the Diamondbacks selected Walker's contract, adding him to their active roster. In 11 games for the team, he went 3-for-12 (.250) with 2 home runs and 2 RBI.
Walker played in 37 games for Arizona in 2018, hitting .163/.226/.388 with three home runs, six RBI, and one stolen base.
In 2019, Walker made 152 appearances for the Diamondbacks, batting .259/.348/.476 with career-highs in home runs (29) and RBI (73). He had a 9 Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) rating, the best in the National League among first basemen, and led all major league first basemen with 139 assists. In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Walker played in 57 of 60 possible games and slashed .271/.333/.459 with seven home runs and 34 RBI.
Walker made 115 appearances for Arizona during the 2021 campaign, batting .244/.315/.382 with 10 home runs and 46 RBI. In 2022, Walker played in 160 games and hit a career-high 36 home runs with 94 RBI. Following the season, he won his first career Gold Glove Award.
On January 13, 2023, Walker agreed to a one-year, $6.5 million contract with the Diamondbacks, avoiding salary arbitration. He finished the season batting .258/.333/.497 with 33 home runs and a career-high 103 RBI in 157 games played. Walker also helped lead the Diamondbacks to the 2023 World Series, where they lost to the Texas Rangers in five games. After the season, he won his second consecutive Gold Glove Award.
Walker played in 130 games for the Diamondbacks in 2024, batting .251/.335/.468 with 26 home runs and 84 RBI. He won the Gold Glove Award for the third straight year.

### Houston Astros

On December 23, 2024, Walker signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Houston Astros.