A second consecutive year of Silver Slugger Awards could grace the Cardinals in 2026

2022 was a golden age for St. Louis Cardinals corner infielders — or, rather, a silver age. First baseman Paul Goldschmidt and third baseman Nolan Arenado each took home National Silver Slugger Awards for their respective positions in what remains the Cardinals' last sniff of the postseason. The Cardinals' latest recipient of the award was Alec Burleson in 2025, who won it in the utility role. Jordan Walker may be the next Cardinal to hoist the vaunted trophy, and it could come as soon as this season.

Walker put up ridiculous numbers in the first half of the season, clubbing 22 home runs and hitting .294 with an .887 OPS. But following his magnificent victory in one of the all-time great Home Run Derbies, Walker went on a skid, hitting just .200 for the remainder of July and failing to swat a single long ball. But since August 1, Walker has rebounded well, hitting .329 with five home runs and a .948 OPS.

Walker has completely overhauled his career after many fans left him for dead following his abysmal seasons in 2024 and 2025, and there's a strong case for Walker to earn a Silver Slugger. It's far from a lock, though, as the awards are given to three outfielders regardless of their primary outfield position, so Walker is contending with the entire crowd, not just right fielders.

As of Aug. 25, Walker is tied for fourth among National League outfielders in batting average, with a .287 average; he's third in slugging percentage, at .505; and he's third in OPS, at .850. His relative lack of walks drags down his on-base percentage a bit, as he ranks eighth in the league in that stat, at .345.

Regarding Walker's competition, Chicago Cubs center fielder Pete Crow-Armstrong looks like a lock for one of the outfield Silver Slugger Awards. The polarizing star is leading major league outfielders with a .930 OPS and is second in the league among all players in stolen bases, with 32. Second in OPS for the senior circuit, at .928, is the Washington Nationals' James Wood, who leads the major leagues with a .393 OBP. Walker may be the favorite for the third spot as of now, but don't count out the Atlanta Braves' Michael Harris, who has a .294 average and a .493 slugging percentage.

Don't expect a Silver Slugger at any other position for the Cardinals in 2026

Burleson is performing even better than he did last season, where he paced the team in batting average and OPS, at .290 and .802, respectively, en route to his well-earned Silver Slugger. In 2026, he's hitting .291 with 21 home runs and holding an .844 OPS. Unfortunately for Burleson, a second Silver Slugger Award is unlikely to be in his immediate future because he's been entrenched at first base this year instead of switching between first base and the corner outfield spots. Therefore, he won't be eligible for the utility award again.

The cold corner is filled with thumpers across the National League. The Atlanta Braves' Matt Olson is tied for second in the major leagues with 36 home runs, and Burleson is seventh. Milwaukee Brewers breakout star Jake Bauers leads National League first basemen with an .885 OPS, while Burleson is in the fourth spot. Burleson ranks second in among National League first basemen in batting average, but he's behind the Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman, who is hitting a robust .302.

Elsewhere on the diamond, the Cardinals and their fans likely expected Iván Herrera to compete for a Silver Slugger Award at the notoriously light-hitting catcher position, but Herrera is enduring a lackluster season by his standards, hitting just .242 with14 home runs, down from 19 last season despite stepping in the batter's box 134 times more than he did in 2025. The Colorado Rockies' Hunter Goodman may run away with the award, as he's fifth in the major leagues in home runs, with 34. Gabriel Moreno of the Arizona Diamondbacks is hitting .303 and could also be in the conversation.

Finally, while JJ Wetherholt is still one of the favorites for Rookie of the Year, he doesn't appear poised to add a Silver Slugger to his mantel, as several second basemen sit ahead of him in the counting stats. He does rank at a respectable fourth place in OBP among National League players who man the keystone.

Wetherholt has been the victim of some bad luck this year, so a more fortuitous season could see him rocketing up these lists in the future. The Cardinals might have also struck gold with Rainiel Rodriguez, who is laying siege to Double-A at age 19, and as a catcher, he may not have much competition for multiple Silver Slugger Awards in his increasingly bright future.

If Walker wins one of the outfield Silver Slugger Awards, it will cap off one of the most sudden and impressive career turnarounds that Cardinals fans, and even baseball fans in general, can remember. And while it's unlikely that anyone else on the Cardinals is given the award in 2026, there are plenty of players on the roster and in the pipeline whose names could adorn multiple Silver Slugger Awards in the coming years.

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