First baseman Alec Burleson has only been a member of the St. Louis Cardinals since 2022, and yet, after watching some of the veterans he grew up learning from leave the organization, the 27-year-old suddenly finds himself the elder statesman of Cincinnati baseball.

Discussing this unlikely development so early in his career with MLB Network, Burleson noted that while it may be weird, he is willing to take on the challenge and help his team win.

“Yeah, yeah, it's weird. It's, being 27 years old, like you said, people ask me questions about certain things. But, yeah, it's something that I have to embrace,” Burleson said. “I have to kind of step into that role and be, you know, not just lead by example on the field, but also be a vocal leader as well. So, stepping out of my comfort zone a little bit, but, you know, it's something that, like I said, I got to embrace. And somebody's got to do it, so why not?”

Asked what he learned from Craig Wilson and Paul Goldschmidt during their time together in Cincinnati, Burleson noted that their contributions helped to establish what it means to be a big leaguer in his eyes.

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“Yeah, you know, you talk about Paul Goldschmidt, who was here, and, you know, Wilson, who was at first base. Those two guys stick out just because they were first base. I backed them up a little bit. And, you know, Goldie did it how he played. You know, he got his work in,” Burleson said.

“He was very diligent with that stuff. And learned a lot from him just at first base, and how he, you know, went about his day and what it looks like to be an everyday big leaguer. And then Wilson, love that guy to death, and he played with fire and learned a lot from him as well. And then, you know, you've got other guys that I didn't mention. But, yeah, I've been around a lot of veteran leaders, and, you know, took a lot from them. So I'm looking to pass that on.”

Coming off the best season of his career thus far, earning a Silver Slugger Award after hitting 18 home runs and 69 RBIs on a .290/.343/.459 line, Burleson has established himself as one of the faces of the Reds as they go into 2026. Though he may only be 27, his willingness to take on a leadership role can only mean good things for Cincinnati heading into the regular season.