Platooning Alec Burleson at first base is the next evolution for Cardinals lineup

You may have noticed something about the St. Louis Cardinals lineup since Leo Bernal was called up. The future behind the plate for the Cardinals has also started two games at first base with Alec Burleson sitting, a trend that may become more prevalent in 2027 when left-handed pitchers are on the mound.

Why? Well, to fix an offensive weakness and to open up more at-bats for other young players on the Cardinals roster.

Among 194 qualified hitters this year, Burleson has the fifth-worst wRC+ against left-handed pitching (54). This is not just a "this year trend" as Burleson's career 64 wRC+ is the fourth-worst among the 203 hitters with at least 450 plate appearances against lefties since 2022. I certainly wouldn't put it past Burleson to get better against lefties, but for now, he's a true liability in their lineup when a lefty is on the mound.

But as we all know, Burleson is one of the best hitters in baseball against right-handed pitching this year, as his 157 wRC+ against them ranks sixth-best among qualified hitters. That's an incredible weapon to have, and since around 70% of pitchers are right-handed, that'll be the majority of the opportunities presented to the Cardinals.

This year, the Cardinals haven't really had a great reason to sit Burleson, but as the club has more talent on its roster, particularly right-handed bats who can play first base, it's time to get them into the lineup at first base.

Sitting Alec Burleson against left-handed pitching can solve multiple issues for Cardinals

Looking ahead to next season, Bernal is already a clear candidate to take reps at first base in order to keep his bat in the lineup and spell Burleson. But there are other options who could factor into that mix as well.

Ivan Herrera should be a candidate to play some first base, as his days as a catcher could be numbered, and the Cardinals likely want to have DH days available for more players as well. With Joshua Baez and Jordan Walker in the corner outfield spots, the idea of Herrera spending time out there seems even less likely than it was before.

There's also Rainiel Rodriguez, the Cardinals' top prospect who has one of the most exciting bats in minor league baseball, who could be in that mix as well. He's a catcher primarily right now but has played some first base this season, and the Cardinals are potentially going to introduce another position to him this offseason.

Making this shift would help provide more at-bats for these young hitters who will be fighting for playing time while also putting the Cardinals in a better position to do damage against left-handed starters when they are on the mound. Burleson then becomes a weapon off the bench later in games when right-handed pitchers are deployed, something that Oli Marmol can use to his advantage in a meaningful way.

Later this week, I'll have have a piece helping show how the Cardinals can provide consistent at-bats for their three highly valued catchers in Herrera, Bernal, and Rodriguez, and this is one of the key ways to help do so.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow