The St. Louis Cardinals have stumbled out of the gate to start the 2025 season, and fans are growing increasingly frustrated — not just with the results, but with the direction of the organization. Even though the front office made it clear this would be a “transition year,” watching a Cardinals team lacking competitiveness so early in the season has been difficult for supporters to accept.
Despite returning most of the roster from a team that won 83 games last year, the club needed several players to step up and build on that foundation. Instead, the team sits in fourth place in the NL Central, with a troubling 2-11 road record. Many of those road losses are due to bullpen failures, missed offensive opportunities, or unraveling in a single bad inning. The season-opening sweep of the Twins already feels like a distant memory, and the team is performing like the average, .500-level club some feared it might become.
Manager Oli Marmol has drawn some criticism, but this report suggests he’s managing as well as he can given the roster he’s been handed. Marmol himself recently pointed to the bullpen’s inconsistency, a clear signal that some of the team’s struggles fall on the players’ shoulders — not just coaching or strategy.
Alec Burleson Highlighted as a Key Underperformer
One of the more disappointing starts has come from Alec Burleson, who entered the season with a chance to solidify himself as the team’s primary designated hitter and occasional first baseman. While his defense in the outfield has improved, it’s still below league average and unnecessary given the team’s more capable defensive options.
Burleson showed promise in 2024, hitting .269 with 21 home runs and a team-leading 78 RBIs, slightly above average production (106 wRC+). He flashed real potential in 2022 at Triple-A Memphis, where he hit .331 with 20 home runs, but that power has yet to translate consistently at the big-league level.
Since 2023, Burleson has recorded 29 home runs and 43 doubles over 938 at-bats, good for a .704 OPS — about average. He makes contact consistently and has strong plate coverage, but his swing decisions are questionable. Though he rarely strikes out, his walk rate and pitch selection are poor. He often swings early in the count at pitches he can hit but doesn’t drive, resulting in weak contact. Statcast metrics show he’s in the bottom five percent of the league in expected slugging and barrel rate, and his hard-hit rate ranks in just the 22nd percentile.
Burleson’s production with runners in scoring position has also been lacking. Despite being one of the team’s most-used hitters in those situations, he’s driven in only six RBIs — fewer than players with far fewer chances, such as Pedro Pages, Ivan Herrera, and Thomas Saggese. His .649 OPS in those spots ranks ninth on the team.
For Burleson to hold onto his role as a middle-of-the-order bat, he’ll need to alter his approach — perhaps focusing more on driving the ball for extra-base hits. So far in 2025, he’s hitting a respectable .276, but with only three doubles and no home runs, his .645 OPS is far from acceptable for someone hitting in the heart of the lineup. As a result, the idea of giving more designated hitter opportunities to Saggese or Luken Baker, even against right-handers, is gaining momentum.
