Alec Burleson #41

Graduated from East Lincoln High School in Denver, N.C., where he earned five high school letters (4 baseball, 1 basketball)... Three-time North Carolina 2A All-State Team (2015-17)... Struck out only eight times in his final three years of playing high school baseball... Started 107 of 116 games at East Carolina while playing four different positions (1B, DH, LF, RF), batting .341 with 12 HR and 91 RBI over his career...Also pitched and went 13-5 with a 3.47 ERA (137.2 innings), 139 strikeouts and nine saves... Named 2020 First Team Preseason All-American Utility Player by Collegiate Baseball... 2019 finalist for the John Olerud National Player of the Year Award...Played for the 2019 USA Collegiate National Team, receiving the USA Baseball International Performance-of-the-Year award for his walk-off home run against Japan... Played for the Bourne Braves in the 2019 Cape Cod League... Named Most Outstanding Player (.383, 10 HR, 44 RBI) of the Cal Ripken League for the Bethesda Big Train during the summer of 2018... Was a First Team CoSIDA Academic All-American and a seven-time East Carolina Director of Athletics Honor Roll Member...Resides in Denver, N.C.

2021

Entered the season ranked as the No. 26 prospect in the Cardinals organization by Baseball America... Batted combined .270/.329/.454 with 22 home runs and 76 RBI in 119 games between Peoria (High-A), Springfield (AA), and Memphis (AAA) in his first season playing in the organization after being drafted in 2020... Ranked among organizational leaders in games (T-1st), plate appearances (503, 2nd), at-bats (456, 2nd), hits (123, 2nd), home runs (4th), RBI (2nd), and total bases (207, 3rd)… Appeared defensively in 75 games in right field, 29 games in left field, and one game at first base... Slugged 18 homers over his first 74 professional games between Peoria and Springfield... Named Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month for May, hitting .317/.394/.610 (26-82) with seven home runs, 19 RBI and a 1.003 OPS in 21 games to open the season... Made his professional debut on 5/4, drawing a pair of walks for High-A Peoria at Cedar Rapids... Hit .286/.367/.595 (12-42) with four homers in his first 11 games before being promoted to Springfield (AA) on 5/17... Promoted to Memphis (AAA) on 8/3... Homered and drove in six runs in 13-12 loss to Nashville (8/22).