6 Cardinals you didn't know were two-way players at one point

Until Shohei Ohtani broke into the league in 2018 and became a global phenomenon in 2021, two-way players were thought to be a fantasy, something left in ancient history with Babe Ruth and Bullet Rogan. However, Ohtani has redefined the game and broken barriers unlike the game has ever seen, and two-way players are once again in the Major League Baseball vogue.

As the Redbird Rants resident two-way player enthusiast (which may be an understatement), I'm here to take a look at some players who were once capable two-way players during their baseball careers. Here are six Cardinals you didn't know were once two-way players.

Before we start this exercise, I'll start with a disclaimer. I'd love to go back throughout Cardinals history and find every single one who was a two-way player in high school or college, but for the sake of this article, let's just look at a few who were on the roster in 2024. That means no Rick Ankiel, who most fans were probably aware was a two-way player anyway.

Alec Burleson

Let's start with the two Cardinals players on the 2024 roster who have made relief appearances in their careers. While we know Alec Burleson as the power-hitting first baseman and corner outfielder, many don't know that he was also a two-way player in college. At East Carolina, he made 21 starts in 47 total pitching appearances, tossing 137.2 innings in total. He recorded a 3.46 ERA through these outings and struck out more than one batter per inning (9.1 K/9). In his freshman season, where he recorded a 3.33 ERA and notched four saves, he was named American Athletic Conference Rookie Pitcher of the Year.

Unfortunately, he wasn't good enough to stick as a two-way player at the professional level and stuck to hitting after the Cardinals drafted him. However, in two blowout losses, Burleson made relief appearances to eat innings in the dreadful 2023 season. When asked by young fans at the Kids Only Press Conference, Burleson did note that his personal favorite game was when he got to pitch on a Major League mound. But, after giving up four runs in just 1.2 innings pitched, it's unlikely we'll see Burleson return to the mound in any serious capacity soon, nor does he want to.

Brandon Crawford

After his pitching experience in 2023, Burleson decided enough was enough and handed the role over to Brandon Crawford in 2024. Crawford, who was the lone position player to pitch for the Cardinals last season, may have had his defining moment on the mound amidst his struggles at the plate. In 1.1 innings, he allowed four runs through three hits and two walks against the Washington Nationals.

It wasn't the Giants legend's first time pitching on a big league mound either, as he made a scoreless relief appearance for San Francisco just one year prior. His stuff wasn't bad either, as the former high school (and briefly college) two-way player approached 90 mph in both his relief appearances.