Larry Walker will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Wednesday. That has me thinking about Nolan Arenado.

It took Walker until his 10th and final time on the ballot to cross the 75% threshold and be voted into Cooperstown. He’s said that he hopes his election opens the door for other Rockies players. Specifically, he was talking about Todd Helton and the stigma of playing at Coors Field.

“The year I won MVP (1997), I thought it was a great thing for Colorado Rockies players as well and took away that mess about playing there and the negatives that go into it,” Walker told me last November. “Hopefully this does work for Todd. Obviously, he’s very Hall of Fame worthy.”

But what about Arenado? The third baseman now wears Cardinals red, not Colorado purple. But, for some, Coors Field will always taint his resume.

However, Arenado’s mile-high numbers certainly didn’t bother Hall of Fame third baseman Mike Schmidt when I asked him about Arenado two years ago.

“Nolan is, without question, the best third baseman in baseball, both defensively and offensively, and has been for several years,” Schmidt said. “If his success continues at this current rate for another 10 years, he will be joining us in Cooperstown. My hope is that I will be there to hear his speech.”

Schmidt, of course, set the gold standard for third basemen. He was a 12-time all-star, won 10 Gold Gloves and six Silver Slugger awards. He was voted the National League’s MVP in 1980, 1981 and 1986. His Phillies won the World Series in 1980 and he was the MVP. He finished his 18-year career with 548 home runs, a .908 OPS and a 106.8 WAR.

Arenado, 30, is never going to match those accomplishments, even if he ends up playing until age 39, as Schmidt did. Still, Arenado’s numbers are impressive: 264 homers, a .882 OPS, a 43.8 WAR and eight consecutive Gold Gloves. He’s a six-time all-star and a four-time Silver Slugger winner.

Arenado’s glovework is considered some of the best and flashiest of all time. His Hall of Fame argument is enhanced by social media and ubiquitous video replays, allowing his “I can’t believe he did that” moments to be viewed by baseball fans from coast to coast.

Still, I’ve been very interested to see how Arenado would do in his first season away from Colorado. Overall, he’s played well in St. Louis, but not great.

His batting average is down considerably — .257 compared to .293 during his eight seasons in Colorado. His current OPS with the Cardinals is .817, quite a few ticks below his .882 OPS with the Rockies.

Still, Arenado has hit 29 home runs and is on pace for 32. He has 88 RBIs and is on pace for 105. Plus, he’s been great in the clutch. He’s hitting .336 with runners in scoring position, besting his career mark of .325. With two outs and runners in scoring position, he’s hitting .333, higher this his career average of .316.

Plus, the up-and-down Cardinals are making a late-season push for the second National League wild-card and Arenado has been a big part of that. The chance to play postseason baseball was Arenado’s primary reason for forcing his way out of Colorado. If you’ve watched any Cardinals games recently, you can’t help but see Arenado’s passion and intensity.

My bottom line: Coors Field or no Coors Field, I’m betting that Schmidt will get to hear Arenado make that speech in Cooperstown. And while Arenado’s numbers won’t be as gaudy as they were with Colorado, winning with the Cardinals will enhance his reputation.

That begs for one more question: Will Arenado go in as a Rockie or a Cardinal? That’s an argument for a later date.