5 of the past decade's most lovable Cardinals personalities

Alec Burleson

Alec Burleson is a treasure for the Cardinals and for their fans. The outfielder whom I tabbed as the Cardinals most intriguing player prior to the 2024 season is paying off big time on the field, but his friendliness with the media is what truly makes him stand out.

Burleson always seems to be open to talk to people and has spoken with a few bloggers, including me. In 2021, he volunteered to be interviewed for a piece about his minor league breakout and was a class act when I spoke with him. On Sunday Night Baseball in 2024, he revealed his affable personality to a larger audience and expressed genuine bewilderment about the broadcasters' wealth of knowledge when asked about his experience delivering food with DoorDash. In an instance where many players give canned answers and clearly want the interview to be over, Burleson seemed to genuinely appreciate the experience.

Burleson also provides some killer quotes in his interviews, including a quip that he's faster than half of the league and a comment that catching a fly ball on a windy day at Wrigley Field was like "trying to catch the moon in a solar eclipse."

Given his approachability and his slightly more rotund physique than is usual for a professional athlete, Burleson feels like your everyday average Joe who just happens to be playing — and excelling at — baseball at the highest level.