The recent hot streak for the Cardinals has been driven by two surprising batters faced by…

The recent hot streak for the Cardinals has been driven by two surprising batters.

The St. Louis Cardinals have begun to string wins together after a dismal start to the season, and they are gradually regaining ground in the National League Central race. The Cardinals are now five games behind the Milwaukee Brewers in first place after sweeping the Baltimore Orioles in three games. They have an 8-2 record over their past ten games. These two young talents have ignited the offense throughout their surge.

Similar to the majority of the Cardinals’ offensive line, Burleson struggled in 2024 to earn playing time early on. The 25-year-old secured a regular spot in the lineup and is contributing after injuries and roster changes. The left-handed slugger is slashing.377/.389/.623 with three home runs, seven RBI, and two stolen bases in his last 15 games.

Burleson, who made his Major League Baseball debut in 2022, has had trouble regaining the force he displayed in the minors. He is three home runs shy of his career high of eight and should likely surpass it during what is shaping up to be a career year, having hit just nine home runs in 123 career games going into the 2024 season. His extra heft to the lineup has been much-needed, as first baseman Paul Goldschmidt and third baseman Nolan Arenado have been struggling at the plate. It appears that he will be a fixture in the Cardinals starting lineup for many years to come.

The 22-year-old, who was regarded as one of the Cardinals’ best prospects before into the season, had a rough first season in the big in 2023, slashing.172/.230/.238 with two home runs and 12 RBI in 37 games. The young shortstop, who has made changes during the winter, is beginning to emerge as the Cardinals’ potential star player thanks to both his amazing defense and bat.