Alec Burleson has spent the 2026 season making the Cardinals’ lineup look a lot more stable than the rest of the roster around him, and one teammate now thinks that consistency might eventually price him out of a very specific kind of fame.
Hunter Dobbins weighed in on Burleson after a social media account, The Hall of Pretty Good, highlighted the first baseman’s career path. Dobbins responded, “As much as I love the @hallofgoodpod I don’t think he’s going to be eligible by the end of it. https://t.co/xlgbM4FEgp”
That’s not just a throwaway joke. Burleson has kept stacking up production while the Cardinals navigate September with an eye on health and next year’s roster.
He recently reached 100 RBI for the season, becoming the first Cardinal to do that since Goldschmidt and Arenado in 2022 and the first lefty to get there for St. Louis since Jim Edmonds in 2004.
He already won a Silver Slugger last year, and he’s in the mix for another one at first base even though his power doesn’t quite match some of the other names at the position. Still, the bat has been steady enough that he’s become a fixture in the lineup and, at least on the numbers, looks like someone who could keep forcing bigger conversations.
The broader career arc is getting harder to ignore. Burleson has improved in every season, and 2026 has been his best yet.
He set career highs in doubles, runs and RBI, and he’s one home run away from a new personal best there, too. He’s also walking more and striking out well below league average, which only adds to the appeal.
And the glove matters here, too. Burleson’s work at first base has been strong, and Statcast has finally given that value some credit. Even with that defensive boost, he remains a player many people still underrate.
The result is a 5.5 bWAR season, which already accounts for more than half of his career total. He’s in the middle of his fourth full major league season, and at 28, he’ll be the oldest everyday player on the Cardinals’ roster next season.
That’s where the Hall of Pretty Good comes in. The account’s rules are simple: no MVP award, at least three years retired, and a career bWAR of 38.6 or lower.
Players who fit then go to a fan vote and need 65% to get in. Dobbins’ point is that Burleson may keep climbing past those limits before his career is over.
If Burleson played eight more seasons through age 35, he’d need to stay under 34 bWAR and never win an MVP award to remain eligible. Given the pace he’s on, though, averaging around four bWAR a year would not be out of the question, especially if he keeps playing deep into his 30s. And if that happens, the conversation might shift away from a social media hall and toward Cooperstown.
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