Cardinals Have Bright Future With Rising Star Having 'Sneaky-Good Season'

St. Louis is thrilled with how the young slugger is playing

Jul 24, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Alec Burleson (left) and left fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) perform a pre-game ritual before playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports / Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have a few veterans on the roster who could either be retired or with a new team not long from now, so it's time to start looking ahead.

For instance, five-time Silver Slugger Paul Goldschmidt will become a free agent this offseason and there's a solid chance the Cardinals will not resign him -- unless they choose to value emotion over evidence.

With Goldschmidt and possibly more veterans soon out of the picture, it's great to know that the Cardinals have a young slugger showing signs of great potential early on in his career.

Cardinals first baseman and designated hitter Alec Burleson is having the best season of his career at the plate since making his Major League Baseball debut with St. Louis in 2022.

Burleson is batting .277 with 36 extra-base hits including 21 home runs, 70 RBIs and a .772 OPS in 115 games played for the Cardinals this season.

The 25-year-old has played chiefly out-of-position in the outfield this season to help fill voids caused by numerous injuries but he's the Cardinals' DH most of the time. If Burleson was more skilled at fielding, he could be a logical replacement for Goldschmidt at first base but sadly, defense is not his strong suit.

The only Cardinals player with a higher OPS than Burleson at the moment is Wilson Contreras (.850). However, Contreras has only played in 79 games this season after fracturing his left forearm in May.

It's safe to say that Burleson is shaping up to be a serious threat on offense. Fortunately, he isn't arbitration-eligible until 2026, so the Cardinals should have control over him as he develops.

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