MLB insider believes Cardinals fans should have a ton of confidence in this young bat

The St. Louis Cardinals lost a lot of talent from their roster this offseason, so it is not surprising that many fans are mostly pessimistic about the club in 2026.

While their record may not be in a good place this year, there are still young players whom fans can look forward to following in this rebuilding season, and one MLB insider is planting his flag on one specific player.

MLB insider Robert Murray gave one player from every team that he believes people should be optimistic about in 2026, and his pick for the Cardinals came in the form of their breakout slugger from last season: Alec Burleson.

"The Cardinals are undergoing a transition, trading Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan this offseason. Burleson, 27, stayed in St. Louis and has emerged as an important player the last two seasons, totaling 39 home runs and 147 RBI. He hit .290/.343/.459 with an .801 OPS and won a Silver Slugger Award last year, and considering the rebuild under Chaim Bloom, could find himself in trade rumors in August if he puts together a strong first half."

MLB insider believes Cardinals fans should be optimistic about Alec Burleson in 2026

Burleson, a former top 100 prospect, has seen his numbers trend up each and every year of his big league career, culminating in that breakout performance that won him a Silver Slugger award last season. Burleson slashed .290/.343/.459 with 18 home runs and 69 RBI in 497 plate appearances.

The 27-year-old saw improvements in bat speed, barrel%, chase%, and BB% last season, doing a better job at maximizing the pitches he swings at and not beating himself as often as he had in the past. In the first half of 2024, Burleson put up very similar numbers, but an awful finish to the year saw his numbers fall back down to earth. Now, Burleson is hoping to take another step forward offensively and look like a true middle-of-the-order bat.

As Murray pointed out, if Burleson does repeat his success from 2025 or even improves again like he has each year, that could end up making him a strong trade candidate at the trade deadline. If the Cardinals' timeline to return to contention seems to stretch further into the future, then moving Burleson may make a lot of sense. Burleson has three years of club control remaining, so his trade value will be at an all-time high come July, and by the time the Cardinals are ready to "win", he'll be due a major payday.

Now, there are obviously plenty of scenarios where Burleson is a guy they build around, so this is just a storyline to watch as things currently stand.

For now, Murray is right in saying that Cardinals fans should have a lot of confidence in Burleson this year, and if he does continue that year-over-year improvement, Burleson will be in line for more than just a Silver Slugger award in 2026. He'll be in the All-Star conversation, a potential downballot MVP candidate, and he'll establish himself as a rising star in the game.