Alec Burleson

The most encouraging part of Burleson's 2025 campaign was the left-handed batter's improvement versus left-handed pitching. He entered the season with an anemic .209/.244/.288 career batting line against southpaws but slashed .271/.310/.398 against lefties this past season. The line still pales in comparison to Burleson's .296/.353/.478 slash line versus righties, but the 27-year-old's strides against left-handers allowed the Cardinals to deploy him as an everyday player rather than a long-side platoon bat. Burleson didn't hit lower than cleanup from June 19 on, and the intention is to use him similarly in 2026. He's a non-factor in the stolen-base department, but Burleson hits the ball hard, has elite contact skills and boasts dual eligibility. With his newfound everyday player status, his counting status should be on the upswing. Read Past Outlooks