Is Burleson the future first baseman?

[Talkin' Baseball]

Burleson is ok. He is a for-sure major league hitter. However, he is not special in any way. If another team values him highly we should move him for pitching, given our obvious need.

[OldRed]

Burleson is ok. He is a for-sure major league hitter. However, he is not special in any way. If another team values him highly we should move him for pitching, given our obvious need.

I posted earlier this season Burleson and Contrares should be platooned.

Stats:


https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/stats/

[JDW]

Possibly a Burly/Jordan strict platoon at 1B might be ok, but then you have 2 limited defensive players taking up 2 spots on the 26 instead of getting similar 1B production in 1 player named Contreras.
Like many players, Burly has some value while he's cost controlled, but likely not much once he starts costing real money.

Taking off his Burlesque glasses once in a while might help with the OP's objectivity, but that'd be assuming he has the capability of objectivity, which we've seen little evidence for.

[OldRed]

Possibly a Burly/Jordan strict platoon at 1B might be ok, but then you have 2 limited defensive players taking up 2 spots on the 26 instead of getting similar 1B production in 1 player named Contreras.
Like many players, Burly has some value while he's cost controlled, but likely not much once he starts costing real money.

Taking off his Burlesque glasses once in a while might help with the OP's objectivity, but that'd be assuming he has the capability of objectivity, which we've seen little evidence for.

You need to check Burleson's stats from last year and this year. He has the potential to be much better offensively than Contrares has been at any point in his career.

[JDW]

Possibly a Burly/Jordan strict platoon at 1B might be ok, but then you have 2 limited defensive players taking up 2 spots on the 26 instead of getting similar 1B production in 1 player named Contreras.
Like many players, Burly has some value while he's cost controlled, but likely not much once he starts costing real money.

Taking off his Burlesque glasses once in a while might help with the OP's objectivity, but that'd be assuming he has the capability of objectivity, which we've seen little evidence for.

You need to check Burleson's stats from last year and this year. He has the potential to be much better offensively than Contrares has been at any point in his career.

I have compared, and on the Contrary, don't see why Burly should start against LHP's.
Your assuming Burleson gets better, while I'm not assuming that.
Blaze Jordan has hit LHP'ing very well to this point in his milb career, so a strict platoon between him and Burly might work, but again, I'd rather have a full time 1B like Contreras take up that spot on the roster than having 2 limited defensive slow guys if that's the choice given.

[OldRed]

Possibly a Burly/Jordan strict platoon at 1B might be ok, but then you have 2 limited defensive players taking up 2 spots on the 26 instead of getting similar 1B production in 1 player named Contreras.
Like many players, Burly has some value while he's cost controlled, but likely not much once he starts costing real money.

Taking off his Burlesque glasses once in a while might help with the OP's objectivity, but that'd be assuming he has the capability of objectivity, which we've seen little evidence for.

You need to check Burleson's stats from last year and this year. He has the potential to be much better offensively than Contrares has been at any point in his career.

I have compared, and on the Contrary, don't see why Burly should start against LHP's.
Your assuming Burleson gets better, while I'm not assuming that.
Blaze Jordan has hit LHP'ing very well to this point in his milb career, so a strict platoon between him and Burly might work, but again, I'd rather have a full time 1B like Contreras take up that spot on the roster than having 2 limited defensive slow guys if that's the choice given.

Burleson runs and plays first as good as Contreras. I just don't understand the love for Contreras an aging player who is very much over paid. And as I said before Burleson stats are as good if not better Contreras.

[Shady]

Possibly a Burly/Jordan strict platoon at 1B might be ok, but then you have 2 limited defensive players taking up 2 spots on the 26 instead of getting similar 1B production in 1 player named Contreras.
Like many players, Burly has some value while he's cost controlled, but likely not much once he starts costing real money.

Taking off his Burlesque glasses once in a while might help with the OP's objectivity, but that'd be assuming he has the capability of objectivity, which we've seen little evidence for.

You need to check Burleson's stats from last year and this year. He has the potential to be much better offensively than Contrares has been at any point in his career.

I have compared, and on the Contrary, don't see why Burly should start against LHP's.
Your assuming Burleson gets better, while I'm not assuming that.
Blaze Jordan has hit LHP'ing very well to this point in his milb career, so a strict platoon between him and Burly might work, but again, I'd rather have a full time 1B like Contreras take up that spot on the roster than having 2 limited defensive slow guys if that's the choice given.

Burleson runs and plays first as good as Contreras. I just don't understand the love for Contreras an aging player who is very much over paid. And as I said before Burleson stats are as good if not better Contreras.

At 26, there's a pretty good chance that Burly still has some upside, too.

[Basil Shabazz]

You need to check Burleson's stats from last year and this year. He has the potential to be much better offensively than Contrares has been at any point in his career.

Get back to me when Burly does this over 400+ PAs

.272 .355 .533 .888

It will never happen.

I know all about "potential". I am Basil Shabazz. Google it.

[Wattage]

Not enough XBH for a 1B. Unless get a lot of that elsewhere and he is simply an OBP and Runs contributor. The Running part is a bit problematic.

In the Old Days and not really that long ago. He would be a situational pinch hitter off the bench. Occasional start at 1B. OF only by absolute necessity.

I like him. A lot. He can hit a bit. But lacks Power for a dude that big. Surprising with his contact skills he doesn't have 30 plus homers.

A Softball player that can hit a Baseball.

He one of the weakest bats on your team, you got a good offense. If he is one of the best bats on your team, your offense sucks.

You move him. Possibly this very off-season.

I swear some people have delusional expectations for team offense and still think we are in 1999-2000 era of offense when the league average ops was .780 and avg .270

But its 2025. The league average ops is .719 and avg .246

The avg ops of 1b is like .748.
6 of the 12 playoff teams have a worse hitting 1b than burleson.

The dodgers have freaking conforto in their every day lineup hitting .187, .299, .327 .626 with 9 homeruns and 25 rbis

The brewers have joey ortiz with .617 ops starting everyday

Theres a few other playoff teams with similar .650 or below bats. No freaking team is gonna have alec burleson as their worse bat on the team.

Heck, laars freaking nootbaar probably wouldnt even be the worst hitter on any team in the majors.

Burleson isnt gonna carry an offense as he isnt a goldy arenado type(prime not current version), and im fine with moving him if return is there, but these expectations some of you write like burlesons numbers right now are of a bench bat and that hed be the worst hitter on some teams are downright laughable.

[rockondlouie]

He's a throw in when Bloom makes his pay for a starting pitcher.

He's been one of Oli's pets.

Unless the organization stays braindead and keeps Oli, Bumbles supporter is gone!

[bccardsfan]

You need to check Burleson's stats from last year and this year. He has the potential to be much better offensively than Contrares has been at any point in his career.

Get back to me when Burly does this over 400+ PAs

.272 .355 .533 .888

It will never happen.

I know all about "potential". I am Basil Shabazz. Google it.

Exactly. Burley will do that for a month at a time once or twice a season. The problem is that WC is a perfectly good #5 or #6 hitter in a deep lineup. If he is in the #3 or 4 spot you have a weak lineup. We do. Burley, the same. We don't have a #3 and #4 hitter and on many days, nothing below #7. When we do hit, then we don't pitch. When we pitch, we often don't hit. We don't really have a good #1 hitter either. A mediocre team that will be within 5 games either way of .500, led by a manager who is mediocre and cannot get them up to play bad teams. The org is led by a very mediocre POBO with no direction, and owned by a group who fell asleep at the wheel and didn't keep the car out of the ditch. Rant over...

[Shady]

Not enough XBH for a 1B. Unless get a lot of that elsewhere and he is simply an OBP and Runs contributor. The Running part is a bit problematic.

In the Old Days and not really that long ago. He would be a situational pinch hitter off the bench. Occasional start at 1B. OF only by absolute necessity.

I like him. A lot. He can hit a bit. But lacks Power for a dude that big. Surprising with his contact skills he doesn't have 30 plus homers.

A Softball player that can hit a Baseball.

He one of the weakest bats on your team, you got a good offense. If he is one of the best bats on your team, your offense sucks.

You move him. Possibly this very off-season.

I swear some people have delusional expectations for team offense and still think we are in 1999-2000 era of offense when the league average ops was .780 and avg .270

But its 2025. The league average ops is .719 and avg .246

The avg ops of 1b is like .748.
6 of the 12 playoff teams have a worse hitting 1b than burleson.

The dodgers have freaking conforto in their every day lineup hitting .187, .299, .327 .626 with 9 homeruns and 25 rbis

The brewers have joey ortiz with .617 ops starting everyday

Theres a few other playoff teams with similar .650 or below bats. No freaking team is gonna have alec burleson as their worse bat on the team.

Heck, laars freaking nootbaar probably wouldnt even be the worst hitter on any team in the majors.

Burleson isnt gonna carry an offense as he isnt a goldy arenado type(prime not current version), and im fine with moving him if return is there, but these expectations some of you write like burlesons numbers right now are of a bench bat and that hed be the worst hitter on some teams are downright laughable.

The Burleson critics might need to focus more on Walker, Gorman, Nootbaar and Arenado. Burleson's production actually looks pretty good by comparison.

[Basil Shabazz]

You need to check Burleson's stats from last year and this year. He has the potential to be much better offensively than Contrares has been at any point in his career.

Get back to me when Burly does this over 400+ PAs

.272 .355 .533 .888

It will never happen.

I know all about "potential". I am Basil Shabazz. Google it.

Exactly. Burley will do that for a month at a time once or twice a season. The problem is that WC is a perfectly good #5 or #6 hitter in a deep lineup. If he is in the #3 or 4 spot you have a weak lineup. We do. Burley, the same. We don't have a #3 and #4 hitter and on many days, nothing below #7. When we do hit, then we don't pitch. When we pitch, we often don't hit. We don't really have a good #1 hitter either. A mediocre team that will be within 5 games either way of .500, led by a manager who is mediocre and cannot get them up to play bad teams. The org is led by a very mediocre POBO with no direction, and owned by a group who fell asleep at the wheel and didn't keep the car out of the ditch. Rant over...

Not a rant, brother, spot on.

We are void of at least 1 top-end starter and 2 real bats to plug in 2-4. We have all the complementary pieces we need. We have too many complementary pieces.

You are either packaging extra complementary pieces and prospects for a player of need, or you are ponying up BDWJs money and getting aggressive in the free agent market.

[Futuregm2]

Possibly a Burly/Jordan strict platoon at 1B might be ok, but then you have 2 limited defensive players taking up 2 spots on the 26 instead of getting similar 1B production in 1 player named Contreras.
Like many players, Burly has some value while he's cost controlled, but likely not much once he starts costing real money.

Taking off his Burlesque glasses once in a while might help with the OP's objectivity, but that'd be assuming he has the capability of objectivity, which we've seen little evidence for.

You need to check Burleson's stats from last year and this year. He has the potential to be much better offensively than Contrares has been at any point in his career.

lol

Burleson has 15 HR and 54 RBI in 419 PA. He had 78 RBI in 595 PA last year. Those are hardly noteworthy numbers. And his OPS is even less noteworthy as it was .734 last year and is .784 this year.

Contreras’s counting numbers were impacted by the fact that he was a catcher. Few catchers have the ability to play 140-150 games. Contreras was with the many, not the few. In his first year as a 1B he’s gotten 472 PA, already the 5th highest PA total of his career. He should surpass his career best 544 PA. And he’ll probably be in the 80-90 RBI area, a career best. Even in a year where he started slow and has gotten progressively better. His OPS while still not a great .787 is once again better than Burleson’s.

[OldRed]

Possibly a Burly/Jordan strict platoon at 1B might be ok, but then you have 2 limited defensive players taking up 2 spots on the 26 instead of getting similar 1B production in 1 player named Contreras.
Like many players, Burly has some value while he's cost controlled, but likely not much once he starts costing real money.

Taking off his Burlesque glasses once in a while might help with the OP's objectivity, but that'd be assuming he has the capability of objectivity, which we've seen little evidence for.

You need to check Burleson's stats from last year and this year. He has the potential to be much better offensively than Contrares has been at any point in his career.

lol

Burleson has 15 HR and 54 RBI in 419 PA. He had 78 RBI in 595 PA last year. Those are hardly noteworthy numbers. And his OPS is even less noteworthy as it was .734 last year and is .784 this year.

Contreras’s counting numbers were impacted by the fact that he was a catcher. Few catchers have the ability to play 140-150 games. Contreras was with the many, not the few. In his first year as a 1B he’s gotten 472 PA, already the 5th highest PA total of his career. He should surpass his career best 544 PA. And he’ll probably be in the 80-90 RBI area, a career best. Even in a year where he started slow and has gotten progressively better. His OPS while still not a great .787 is once again better than Burleson’s.

Contreras is 33 years old.

Burleson is 26 years old.

I thought this team was rebuilding for the future.

[Basil Shabazz]

Contreras is 33 years old.

Burleson is 26 years old.

I thought this team was rebuilding for the future.

That was not your argument earlier.