Cardinals Notes: Alec Burleson History, JJ Wetherholt Chase, Offseason Needs

The final series of the 2026 Major League Baseball season has arrived for the St. Louis Cardinals.

St. Louis will begin a three-game series against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night on the road. The Cardinals have three more opportunities to show the fanbase what they can do before what will be a long — and hopefully transformational — offseason.

With just three games left to go, let's take a look at the biggest things hanging over St. Louis right now.

Alec Burleson's Chase For Team History

Sep 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) circles the bases on a solo home run against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One of the biggest bright spots from the 2026 season so far has been the performance of first baseman Alec Burleson. The 27-year-old took over the mantle at first base after the Cardinals traded Willson Contreras to the Boston Red Sox and he has run with the position.

Burleson has been quietly excellent all season and is slashing .279/.343/.464 with 24 home runs, 113 RBIs and 37 doubles heading into the final series of the season. Burleson's 113 RBIs are leading the league right now. Burleson has three more RBIs than Cincinnati Reds rookie Sal Stewart, who is in second place in the National League at 110. If Burleson can finish the job, he will be the first member of the Cardinals to lead the league in RBIs since Albert Pujols back in 2010 with 118.

JJ Wetherholt's Award Race

Sep 24, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman JJ Wetherholt (26) hits a single against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

JJ Wetherholt has had exactly the type of rookie season that the Cardinals likely hoped for. He has been excellent and returned from the Injured List on Sep. 16 for a final run before the season comes to a close.

Since being activated, Wetherholt has slashed .333/.360/.375 with three RBIs, one double and one run scored in seven games played. Overall this season, Wetherholt is slashing .246/.344/.371 with 17 home runs, 51 RBIs, 14 stolen bases, 15 doubles and 89 runs scored in 137 games played. It's going to be Wetherholt vs. Stewart for the NL Rookie of the Year Award, barring a surprise. Stewart has 32 homers and 110 RBIs in 159 games played. It's going to be hard for anyone to beat that. Wetherholt has been the more valuable player overall (4.8 WAR vs. 2.1 WAR), but those are some big numbers from Stewart.

For Wetherholt, elite defense is what has put him over the top — at least from a WAR perspective. He's in second place in baseball with 24 outs above average. Even if he doesn't win the Rookie of the Year Award, a Gold Glove should be in his future over the next few months.

Cardinals Offseason Needs

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

The Cardinals showed some promise in 2026, but will still finish the season below .500. For the Cardinals to get back over the hump, they need to improve their pitching. The bullpen, specifically, was a problem all year. St. Louis has the 22nd-ranked bullpen ERA in baseball at 4.45. You're not going to be a playoff team with a bullpen in that zone.

The rotation took a step forward, but they need another veteran. We made the case for St. Louis to target someone like Zac Gallen of the Arizona Diamondbacks in free agency. All in all, the Cardinals need a boost to pair with these young guys. Plus, with the way Matthew Liberatore has thrown the ball this season, he arguably should be moved to the bullpen in a multi-inning role in 2027.

Then, the only other real question is third base. Maybe Thomas Saggese or Blaze Jordan could be the guy. Nolan Gorman has shown over the last few years that he arguably is not. If the Cardinals don't think that Saggese or Jordan are either, they should be in the market for someone, like Alec Bohm.

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