House of the Rising Burleson
Alec Burleson (STL): 3-4, 2 HR, 3 R, 5 RBI, BB, SB.
After beating the Giants on Thursday at the legendary Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Alabama, the Cardinals returned to St. Louis to finish their series against San Francisco.
Whether it was Rickwood or Busch Stadium, Alec Burleson was a nightmare for this Giants pitching staff.
On Thursday, Burleson went 2-for-3 at the plate and scored three runs (he got on base three times due to an HBP). Yesterday, he had three hits against the Giants, hit two home runs, scored three runs, collected five RBI, and stole a base.
Thanks to that performance, it's not a surprise that the Cardinals trounced the Giants 9-4 in front of the Busch Stadium faithful.
The former 2020 compensation round pick out of East Carolina has been adept at hitting for a high average this year for the Cardinals. He is currently hitting .281, but he hit .288 in April and .289 in May. That ability to hit for average and get on base has been much-needed for a Cardinals team trying to solidify themselves in the NL playoff race, whether in the Central division or Wild Card standings.
However, a big difference for Burleson in June has been his power surge.
His average is slightly down to .278. However, his slugging is up to .570 this month thanks to seven home runs in 84 plate appearances. For context, he only had five home runs in April and May combined. Not only has his slugging seen a spike in June, but his OPS is also .891, 154 points higher than his mark in May and 117 points higher than his April mark.
The Cardinals have seen down seasons from Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, who are both posting OPS numbers under .700. Brendan Donovan, Masyn Winn, and Nolan Gorman have been able to add some much-needed punch in the Cardinals lineup amidst Goldschmidt and Arenado's struggles. That said, Burleson has been the most consistent offensive threat, as his 112 wRC+ is the fourth-best mark on the Cardinals roster this season.
Burleson has gone from a glorified "slap hitter" to one demonstrating some legitimate offensive upside. The Cardinals need that kind of hitter in the lineup, especially with Goldschmidt and Arenado trying to figure it out (if they ever do). In addition, fantasy managers could also benefit from a hitter like Burleson in their lineup, especially with his recent power uptick.
According to Fantasy Pros, Burleson is available in nearly 58% of Yahoo! leagues.
That availability percentage should shrink considerably by the end of the weekend.
Let's see how the other hitters did Saturday.
Chas McCormick (HOU): 3-3, 2 HR, 3 R, 2 RBI, SB.
It's been a tough year for McCormick, who's only hitting .225 and has been down the board in most Statcast categories. That said, he hit two home runs and collected two RBI in the Astros' 5-1 win over the Orioles. Houston is still three games under .500, but they're starting to claw back after a rough start to the season. Seeing McCormick bounce back somewhat and be a threat at the bottom of the Astros lineup would be huge.
Manuel Margot (MIN): 3-5, HR, 3 R, 3 RBI.
The Twins chased A's starter JP Sears out of the game after only 1.1 innings of work. Allowing eight runs on nine hits will do that. Margot was one of the main catalysts, as he had three hits and hit his second home run of the year. With a .232 average and .633 OPS, it's unlikely that Margot will be much more than a right-handed platoon option against left-handed starters.
Dominic Canzone (SEA): 4-5, HR, 3 R, 2 RBI.
Canzone had a big day at the plate in the Mariners' 9-0 victory in Miami. He had four hits and hit his seventh home run of the season. That surpassed his 2023 HR mark in 63 fewer plate appearances. The Mariners' outfield is jam-packed with options but hasn't seen many guys emerge, which opens the door for Canzone to take a firmer hold of a spot. If he wants to become an everyday outfielder in Seattle, he will have to improve that .234 average and .303 OBP.
Brice Turang (MIL): 3-4, HR, R, 4 RBI, BB.
Turang has emerged as a dark-horse candidate at second base in the NL this year. His OPS isn't eye-popping at .776, but he is hitting .296, has stolen 26 bases, and is one of the better keystone defenders in the National League. On Saturday, he hit his fifth home run of the year, though it came in a losing effort to the Padres. Nonetheless, fans shouldn't sleep on Turang, who's put his rough 2023 (.585 OPS) behind him.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa (TOR): 2-3, 2 HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
The Blue Jays are fading fast, but at least Kiner-Falefa is producing as Toronto's leadoff hitter. Against the Guardians on Saturday, he hit his fifth and sixth home runs of the year, and his OPS is .733, higher than a season ago. With a .281 average, Kiner-Falefa is the kind of leadoff hitter who doesn't whiff a lot (98th percentile whiff rate) and can put it in play to make things happen. The only issue is if he will continue to do this for Toronto or perhaps another team come August.
Bryce Harper (PHI): 4-5, HR, 2 R, 3 RBI.
The Phillies trounced the Diamondbacks 12-1 to earn their 50th win of the season. Philadelphia is the first NL team to 50 wins, and Harper is a big reason why. Not only did he hit his 18th home run of the year on Saturday, but he also had four hits, raising his batting average to .294. The NL MVP race will be tough, with Marcell Ozuna and Shohei Ohtani putting up crazy numbers. That said, don't count out Harper, who's looking as good as ever at the plate.
Jackson Merrill (SDP): 3-3, HR, R, 3 RBI, BB.
Merrill has been scorching at the plate in June. In 78 plate appearances, he is hitting .315 with seven home runs and an OPS of 1.009. Against the Brewers, he had three hits and was responsible for three RBI in the Padres' 6-4 win. San Diego is doing its best to keep pace in a tough NL West (it isn't easy to play in the same division as the Dodgers). If they want to stay in the playoff hunt, Merrill must continue to build on his promising June and not revert to his April and May numbers.
Wyatt Langford (TEX): 2-4, HR, R, 4 RBI.
After posting a .581 OPS in April and a .286 OPS in the beginning of May, the Rangers sent Langford down to Triple-A to work on some things at the plate. Since returning, Langford is hitting .313 with a .883 OPS in 72 plate appearances in June. On Saturday, he hit his first career grand slam, which helped seal the victory for the Rangers over the Royals. Langford still has a long way to go in the Rookie of the Year race. On the other hand, he's finally looking like the hitter he was hyped up to be when drafted fourth overall in last year's draft.
Christopher Morel (CHC): 2-4, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI.
Morel is a complicated fantasy player. On one end, he has 14 home runs. That's good! On the other hand, he's hitting .202. That's bad! However, his walk and strikeout rates are the best they've ever been. That's good! Conversely, his barrel and hard-hit rates are down from a season ago. That's bad! We can go back and forth all day like this with Morel, which makes him one of the more polarizing and, honestly, frustrating fantasy hitters today.
The frozen yogurt has potassium benzoate.
….
That’s bad
Langford wasn’t sent down, he was injured.