St. Louis Cardinals Β· First Base
Burleson enters 2026 as St. Louis's primary first baseman with a skill set built on consistent contact and moderate power production. His 2025 season demonstrated solid all-around fantasy value with a .290 average, 18 home runs, and 69 RBI across nearly 500 at-bats, though his 2026 numbers show a modest decline in both power and run production despite maintaining a respectable .280 batting average. The 27-year-old profiles as a reliable mid-tier fantasy option in deeper leagues, offering stability in batting average and RBI while his limited stolen-base upsideβjust five swipes in 2025βmeans he won't provide help in speed categories. Managers should view him as a complementary first-base choice rather than a centerpiece, banking on his consistency rather than explosive upside.
| Year | Team | G | PA | AB | AVG | HR | RBI | R | SB | K | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | St. Louis Cardinals | 16 | 53 | 48 | .188 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 9 | .264 | .271 | .535 |
| 2023 | St. Louis Cardinals | 107 | 347 | 315 | .244 | 8 | 36 | 34 | 3 | 45 | .300 | .390 | .690 |
| 2024 | St. Louis Cardinals | 152 | 595 | 547 | .269 | 21 | 78 | 71 | 9 | 76 | .314 | .420 | .734 |
| 2025 | St. Louis Cardinals | 139 | 546 | 497 | .290 | 18 | 69 | 54 | 5 | 79 | .343 | .459 | .802 |
| 2026 | St. Louis Cardinals | 146 | 618 | 555 | .283 | 22 | 104 | 82 | 4 | 105 | .350 | .467 | .817 |
| Career | Totals | 560 | 2159 | 1962 | .272 | 70 | 290 | 245 | 22 | 314 | .328 | .435 | .763 |
Source: MLB Stats API Β· Multi-team seasons show combined totals β click to expand
| Year | Team | G | PA | AB | AVG | HR | RBI | R | SB | K | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3 teamsβΌ | 119 | 503 | 456 | .270 | 22 | 76 | 61 | 3 | 101 | .329 | .454 | .783 |
| 2022 | Memphis Redbirds | 109 | 470 | 432 | .331 | 20 | 87 | 68 | 4 | 67 | .372 | .532 | .904 |
| Career | Totals | 228 | 973 | 888 | .300 | 42 | 163 | 129 | 7 | 168 | .350 | .492 | .842 |
Source: MLB Stats API Β· Multi-team seasons show combined totals β click to expand