Once buried in the depth chart, Alec Burleson has made the most of his opportunity as an everyday starter. Injuries and poor play of outfielders ahead of him vaulted Burleson into the starter role by early May. Now he is one of the most threatening bats in the lineup.
“It was screaming at us that this guy could really hit, just stick with him,” said St. Louis Cardinals Manager Oliver Marmol after the Cardinals’ win over the Colorado Rockies on Sunday. “Because of how he was going about it and the type of at-bats he was taking and now we’re seeing every bit of that. Which has been a real positive for our club this year.”
Alec Burleson is Gaining More Confidence
In the offseason, Burleson appeared to be fifth on the depth chart of outfielders. Injuries to Tommy Edman, Lars Nootbaar and Dylan Carlson kept the trio off the Opening Day roster. When former top prospect Jordan Walker started 2024 slowly, the team sent him down to Triple-A in part to give Burleson more opportunities.
Alec Burleson on making the most of his expanded opportunity: “Just being able to be in there every day and know that they have the confidence of putting me in there every day, but also seeing some balls fall that I’m hitting hard and having that confidence is helping.” #STLCards pic.twitter.com/Q6PN4kbGjV
— Bally Sports Midwest (@BallySportsMW) May 18, 2024
Burleson is second on the team with home runs with nine, fifth in RBI with 25, and second in batting average at .273. For the second-year outfielder, more playing time has been key to his success.
“Just being able to be in there every day and know that they have the confidence of putting me in there every day,” Burleson said after a May 18 win over the Boston Red Sox. “Also seeing some balls fall that I’m hitting hard and having that confidence as well is helping.”
One of Baseball’s Best Bats over the past Month
Burleson is tied for the second most home runs in the National Leage over the past 30 days. His six home runs in that span are second only to teammate Nolan Gorman. He also has the league’s 25th-best slugging percentage in that span at .510.
That success has earned Burleson a higher spot in the order. He has been batting second of late, just ahead of perennial All-Stars Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. In an in-game interview with ESPN during the Cardinals’ 7-6 win over the Chicago Cubs on May 26, Burleson was asked about the lineup change.
Alec Burleson mic’d up on Sunday Night Baseball ?
? ESPN pic.twitter.com/fe0607CT7j
— ESPN (@espn) May 27, 2024
“The only issue is I feel like I’m hitting every single inning in the two-hole,” Burleson joked. “But that’s a good thing. I like hitting, that’s probably why I’m here.”
Burleson strikes out among the least in the league. His 13.7 strikeout percentage is 11th best in the majors. His ability to make contact is one of the traits that has given Marmol so much confidence in him.
“What he does well is make contact. Even in Spring Training, we talked about trying to shrink the zone and only swinging when you can do damage,” Marmol said on Sunday. “Getting to two strikes isn’t a big deal because of his ability to get the barrel to basically anything. I think he’s doing a much better job of that. He takes his hits when needed, he chooses when he wants to let it eat and it’s been good. His ability to hit for power, but also make contact makes him a professional hitter.”
Feeding Off the Team
Burleson is quick to praise his teammates in interviews. He constantly praises the other batters in the lineup. A good trait for a 25-year-old in a team surrounded by veterans. However, it may not be all talk. He says that the team in general has fed off each other’s success in their recent hot streak.
“Guys are starting to click I think. Once one guy gets rolling then the next guy gains a little confidence,” Burleson said in May. “Then that pressure to do it yourself goes away and you’re able to relax more in the box. Just knowing that the guy behind you is going to get the job done whatever that may be. It’s definitely contagious and you’re seeing that right now.”
Update on Jordan Walker
The Cardinals maintain that they want to see Walker back on the major league roster. Burleson’s success has given the team the luxury to be patient with that goal. Walker has a slash line of .261/.306/.381 with the Memphis Redbirds this season. He’s only hit one home run in 33 games. The Cardinals want to see his power numbers go up before they call him back up.
“You have to have some level of success down there. In other words, you’ve got to earn your way back,” said Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak on KMOX Radio on Sunday. “His attitude’s been great. He understands what he’s got to do and he’s working towards that. Do I think we’ll see him back this season? I do. But I think in this particular case we’ve got to be patient. Let him try to work through some things down there and not put the pressure on him to try and do it up here.”
In his rookie season last year, Walker hit .276/.342/.445 with 16 home runs and 51 RBI. In 20 games this season, Walker was hitting .155/.239/.259.
Main Photo: © Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
