Statcast data analyzes first base receiving

Through the first four-plus months of this season, St. Louis first baseman Alec Burleson has recorded nearly 1,000 putouts. That sounds like a lot of work, and it is; it’s the largest figure of any player in the Majors in 2026. That number, however, encompasses two very different parts of his job.

Approximately 25% of that total is fielding batted balls, at which Burleson, who had spent much…