Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals' Alec Burleson Can Win 1st Major Award Of His Career

The St. Louis Cardinals got some recognition on Wednesday...
Patrick McAvoy|
Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) catches for an out against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images
Sep 23, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) catches for an out against the San Francisco Giants during the fourth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

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On Wednesday afternoon, Major League Baseball announced the Silver Slugger Award finalists for the National League.

The St. Louis Cardinals were well-represented, especially for the NL Utility Silver Slugger Award. The Cardinals had to shift around the lineup all year with guys playing all over the place and because of this both Alec Burleson and Brendan Donovan were named finalists in the utility category, the team announced.

Burleson saw time in 2025 at first base, left field, right field, designated hitter, and touched the mound as a pitcher once. Donovan mainly played second base, but saw time in left field, shortstop, and designated hitter as well. Jake Cronenworth of the San Diego Padres is the third finalist.

Alec Burleson should be the winner

St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson
Sep 17, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Alec Burleson (41) rounds the bases after hitting a home run in the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Vizer-Imagn Images | Tim Vizer-Imagn Images

Burleson slashed .290/.343/.459 with 18 homers, 69 RBIs, 26 doubles, and two triples scored with an .801 OPS in 139 games. Donovan slashed .287/.353/.422 with 10 homers, 50 RBIs, and 32 doubles with a .775 OPS in 118 games. Cronenworth slashed .246/.367/.377 with 11 homers, 59 RBIs, 20 doubles, and one triple with a .744 OPS in 135 games.

Of the three, Burleson arguably should be considered the favorite for the award. He has the highest batting average, slugging percentage, most home runs, most RBIs, and the highest OPS of the trio. Donovan should finish in second place. His numbers are great, but he is behind Burleson in the categories listed above and played in 21 fewer games. Cronenworth should be in third place when the voting results come out.

If Burleson can win the award, it would be the first major award of his big league career so far. He's just 26 years old and didn't even have a solidified role when the campaign began. When the Cardinals gave him opportunities, he made the most of them and made it hard for St. Louis to take him out of the lineup. Burleson has quickly gone from an afterthought, to someone who should be a core piece moving forward.

Donovan would be a worthy winner as well. He already has a Gold Glove Award under his belt and was named an All-Star in 2025. Now, he's a finalist for the Silver Slugger Award as well. There's not much this guy can't do.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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