IMAGE: Imagn Images<\/div>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Yes, they\u2019re 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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019 lineup. In fact, MLB insider Jim Bowden recently singled out Burleson as St. Louis\u2019 most indispensable under-the-radar player – and the numbers back that up.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
Burleson ranks in the 95th percentile in squared-up rate – meaning he\u2019s consistently hitting the ball hard – and he\u2019s in the 91st percentile in strikeout rate (K%), showing a mature approach at the plate. Those aren\u2019t flukes; that\u2019s the profile of a hitter who\u2019s learning to do damage while making consistent contact.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s particularly impressive is Burleson\u2019s adaptability against different pitch types. He\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Defensively, Burleson has shown improvement as well. Once considered a bit of a liability in the outfield, he\u2019s put in the work and become more reliable with the glove. On top of that, he\u2019s flashed some positional versatility, occasionally stepping in at first base – a trait that could pay dividends as the Cardinals juggle lineups during the rebuild.<\/p>\n
St. Louis hasn\u2019t exactly been churning out superstar talent in recent years, and that\u2019s part of why they\u2019re heading into a new era under Bloom.<\/p>\n
But Burleson is bucking that trend. He\u2019s not just putting up solid numbers; he\u2019s showing the kind of all-around game that makes you think he could be a key piece moving forward.<\/p>\n
With the Cardinals heavy on lefty bats, there\u2019s competition for playing time, but Burleson has consistently made a case that he belongs.<\/p>\n
If this club does decide to tear things down and build from the ground up, Burleson\u2019s emergence should give them a bit of hope. He\u2019s proven he can contribute every day, and in a season where not much has gone right, that\u2019s no small feat. Whether it\u2019s his left-handed pop, improving glove, or steady plate approach, Burleson offers a foundation to build on.<\/p>\n
As the season winds down and the Cardinals play out the string, watching Burleson\u2019s evolution might just be one of the more compelling reasons to tune in. His numbers suggest he\u2019s not just a temporary bright spot – he might just be part of the long-term picture in St. Louis.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\u2019re well out of…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":82031,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-82025","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n
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