The St. Louis Cardinals may be staring down the barrel of a forgettable 2025 season, but not everything coming out of Busch Stadium is doom and gloom.

Yes, they’re well out of the playoff race – 16.5 games back in the NL Central and trailing the Mets by four in the Wild Card chase – and yes, a full-on rebuild appears to be in motion under incoming front office leader Chaim Bloom as John Mozeliak prepares to step away. But even in a lost season, there are bright spots worth watching, and Alec Burleson is quickly becoming one of them.

The 26-year-old outfielder has stepped up in a big way, building on his 21-homer campaign in 2024 and cementing himself as a reliable everyday presence in the Cardinals’ lineup. In fact, MLB insider Jim Bowden recently singled out Burleson as St. Louis’ most indispensable under-the-radar player – and the numbers back that up.

Through this season, Burleson is slashing .285/.337/.449 with 20 doubles, 15 home runs, 59 RBIs, and a 120 OPS+. Those are solid across-the-board numbers, but the advanced metrics paint an even clearer picture.

Burleson ranks in the 95th percentile in squared-up rate – meaning he’s consistently hitting the ball hard – and he’s in the 91st percentile in strikeout rate (K%), showing a mature approach at the plate. Those aren’t flukes; that’s the profile of a hitter who’s learning to do damage while making consistent contact.

What’s particularly impressive is Burleson’s adaptability against different pitch types. He’s hitting .273 against fastballs, .283 against breaking balls, and an eye-popping .319 off off-speed stuff. That kind of versatility at the plate is exactly what you want from a core offensive player.

Defensively, Burleson has shown improvement as well. Once considered a bit of a liability in the outfield, he’s put in the work and become more reliable with the glove. On top of that, he’s flashed some positional versatility, occasionally stepping in at first base – a trait that could pay dividends as the Cardinals juggle lineups during the rebuild.

St. Louis hasn’t exactly been churning out superstar talent in recent years, and that’s part of why they’re heading into a new era under Bloom.

But Burleson is bucking that trend. He’s not just putting up solid numbers; he’s showing the kind of all-around game that makes you think he could be a key piece moving forward.

With the Cardinals heavy on lefty bats, there’s competition for playing time, but Burleson has consistently made a case that he belongs.

If this club does decide to tear things down and build from the ground up, Burleson’s emergence should give them a bit of hope. He’s proven he can contribute every day, and in a season where not much has gone right, that’s no small feat. Whether it’s his left-handed pop, improving glove, or steady plate approach, Burleson offers a foundation to build on.

As the season winds down and the Cardinals play out the string, watching Burleson’s evolution might just be one of the more compelling reasons to tune in. His numbers suggest he’s not just a temporary bright spot – he might just be part of the long-term picture in St. Louis.