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Albert Pujols

August 21, 2023

"Pujols" redirects here. For other uses, see Pujols (disambiguation).

José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (Spanish pronunciation: [puˈxols], Catalan pronunciation: [puˈʒɔls]; born January 16, 1980) is a Dominican-American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter. He played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim / Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers. Nicknamed "The Machine" (Spanish: La Máquina), Pujols is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time.

Albert Pujols
Pujols with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2008
First baseman / Designated hitter
Born: (1980-01-16) January 16, 1980 (age 43)
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 2, 2001, for the St. Louis Cardinals
Last MLB appearance
October 4, 2022, for the St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistics
Batting average.296
Hits3,384
Home runs703
Runs batted in2,218
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Pujols is a highly regarded hitter who has long shown a "combination of contact hitting ability, patience and raw power."[1][2][3] He was the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2005, 2008, and 2009 and is an 11-time All-Star (2001, 2003–2010, 2015, 2022). He is a six-time Silver Slugger who has twice led the NL in home runs, and he has also led the NL once each in batting average, doubles, and runs batted in (RBIs). In 2018, Pujols collected his 3,000th career hit, becoming the 32nd MLB player to reach that milestone.[4] During the 2022 season, Pujols moved into second place all-time for career RBIs and total bases and became the fourth player with 700 career home runs.[5] At the end of the season, he was also the major league career leader in double plays grounded into (426), 3rd in sacrifice flies (123), 5th in games played (3,080) and doubles (686), and 6th in at bats (11,421).[6] He won two Gold Glove awards at first base.

Early life

Pujols was raised in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, mostly by his grandmother, America Pujols, and 10 of his uncles and aunts. He is an only child. His father, Bienvenido Pujols, was a softball pitcher who struggled with alcoholism. Pujols often had to take his father home when his father got drunk following games. Growing up, Pujols practiced baseball using limes for balls and a milk carton for a glove.[7] Pujols, his father, and his grandmother immigrated in 1996 to Washington Heights in New York City, where Pujols witnessed a shooting at a bodega.[8] Partly because of the shooting, they moved two months later to Independence, Missouri, to join some relatives.[7][9][10]

Pujols played baseball at Fort Osage High School in Independence and was named an All-State athlete twice.[11] As a senior, he was walked 55 times intentionally, but he still hit eight home runs in 33 at bats. One of his home runs travelled 450 feet (140 m).[7]

College career

After graduating from high school a semester early in December 1998, he was given a baseball scholarship to Maple Woods Community College.[11] Pujols hit a grand slam and turned an unassisted triple play in the first game of his only college season.[12] Playing shortstop, he batted .461 with 22 home runs as a freshman before deciding to enter the Major League Baseball (MLB) draft.[7]

Professional career

Draft and minor leagues

Few teams were interested in Pujols because of uncertainty about his age, which position he would play, and his build.[7][12] Tampa Bay Rays scout Fernando Arango recommended that his team sign Pujols, and quit his job when Tampa Bay failed to do so.[13] Pujols was not drafted until the 13th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball (MLB) draft, when the St. Louis Cardinals selected him with the 402nd overall pick.[14] Pujols initially turned down a $10,000 bonus and spent the summer playing for the Hays Larks of the Jayhawk Collegiate League (a summer league in the National Baseball Congress).[15] When the Cardinals increased their bonus offer to $60,000, he signed.[12]

Pujols began his minor league career in 2000 playing third base with the Peoria Chiefs of the single-A Midwest League. He batted .324 with 128 hits, 32 doubles, six triples, 17 home runs and 84 RBI, in 109 games.[16] He was voted the league's Most Valuable Player and named to the All-Star team.[17] Pujols also played 21 games with the Potomac Cannons in the high-A Carolina League that year, batting .284 with 23 hits, eight doubles, one triple, two home runs and 10 RBI. He finished the 2000 season with the Memphis Redbirds in the AAA Pacific Coast League (PCL), and after appearing in three regular season games with them, he batted .367 in the playoffs and was named the postseason Most Valuable Player (MVP) as the Redbirds won their first PCL title.[7][18][19]

St. Louis Cardinals (2001–2011)

Early career (2001–2003)

During spring training in 2001, incumbent first baseman Mark McGwire told Cardinals manager Tony La Russa that if he did not promote Pujols to the major league roster, "it might be one of the worst moves you make in your career."[20] La Russa later recounted the "myth" that Pujols only made the Opening Day roster in 2001 because Bobby Bonilla was injured. According to La Russa, he and the rest of Cardinals management were impressed enough by Pujols that they decided to promote him to the big league club even before Bonilla's injury.[21] Cardinals executive John Vuch, backed this up, calling the link between Pujols and Bonilla an "old wives' tale" and stating that the competition for the last roster spot was actually between Bonilla and John Mabry.[22] Although the team did not require Pujols to fill any particular position, the Cardinals activated him to the Opening Day roster, and he started all season at third base, right field, left field, or first base.[23]

On Opening Day against the Colorado Rockies on April 2, Pujols became the first major league player born in the 1980s. In that game, he recorded his first career hit, a single against pitcher Mike Hampton in an 8–0 loss.[24] Four days later, he had three hits and three RBI – including his first home run – against the Arizona Diamondbacks' Armando Reynoso in a 12–9 win.[25] On April 9, in his first career home game, Pujols hit a two-run home run in his first at bat against Denny Neagle of Colorado.[26] Through 2015, he was one of three players to hit 20 or more home runs in their rookie year before July, along with Wally Berger (1930) and Joc Pederson (2015).[27] At midseason, Pujols became the first Cardinals rookie since Luis Arroyo in 1955 to make the All-Star Game.[11] He finished the season batting .329 (sixth in the league) with 194 hits (fifth in the league), 47 doubles (fifth in the league), 37 home runs, and 112 runs. His 37 home runs led the Cardinals, topping Jim Edmonds' 30 and McGwire's 29.[28] He was named the National League (NL) Silver Slugger Award winner for the third base position, and he finished fourth in NL Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting, behind Barry Bonds, Sammy Sosa and Luis Gonzalez.[11][29] He was unanimously named the NL Rookie of the Year after setting an NL rookie record with 130 RBI's (fifth in the league) and becoming the fourth MLB rookie to hit .300 with 30 home runs, 100 runs, and 100 RBI's.[30]

The Cardinals finished the 2001 season with a 93–69 record and advanced to the playoffs as the National League wild card team.[31] The team advanced to the NL Division Series (NLDS).[32] In Game 2 on October 10, Pujols hit a game-winning two-run home run against Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson in a 4–1 victory.[33] The Cardinals, however, were eliminated in five games, and Pujols had just two hits in 18 at-bats.[11][34]

After playing several positions in 2001, Pujols spent most of 2002 in left field.[35] He began the season batting cleanup but was moved in May to the third spot in the lineup, where he remained for the rest of his Cardinals career.[36][37] Pujols hit his 30th home run and 100th RBI of the season in a 5–4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in August, making him the sixth Cardinal to have back-to-back 30-home-run seasons and the second Cardinal (the other was Ray Jablonski) to start his career with back-to-back 100-RBI seasons.[11][38] The following month, Pujols hit a game-winning two-run single against Pete Munro in a 9–3 victory over the Houston Astros that gave the Cardinals the NL Central title.[39] Pujols finished the year batting .314 (seventh in the NL) with 185 hits (tied for fourth in the NL), 40 doubles (eighth in the NL), 34 home runs (10th in the NL), 118 runs scored (second in the NL to Sosa's 122), and 127 RBI's (second in the NL).[40] He became the first player in major league history to hit over .300 with at least 30 home runs, 100 runs scored, and 100 RBI's in his first two seasons. Pujols finished second in MVP voting to Bonds, becoming the first Cardinal since Stan Musial to finish in the top four in MVP voting for consecutive seasons.[11] At the end of the 2002 season, Chris Haft of MLB.com called him "an outstanding hitter."[41]

Pujols' contributions helped the Cardinals finish third in home runs and second in batting average and RBI; the Cardinals' pitching staff also finished fourth in ERA.[42] The Cardinals again reached the playoffs, and Pujols had three hits and three RBI in a three-game sweep of the Diamondbacks in the 2002 NLDS. The team advanced to the 2002 NL Championship Series (NLCS), but lost in five games to the San Francisco Giants. Pujols had five hits, one home run and two RBI in the series.[43]

Five Cardinals were named to the All-Star Game in 2003 while Pujols led the NL in votes.[44] It was the first of eight straight seasons that Pujols would reach the All-Star Game.[45] From July 12 to August 16, Pujols had a 30-game hitting streak, tied for the second-longest in Cardinals' history with Musial and behind only Rogers Hornsby's 33-game streak.[46][47] On July 20, Pujols hit his 100th career home run, a game-winner in a 10–7 victory over the Dodgers. He became the fourth major leaguer to hit his 100th home run in his third season, along with Ralph Kiner, Eddie Mathews and Joe DiMaggio.[48] Pujols hit his 114th home run on September 20 in a game against the Astros, which tied him with Kiner for the most home runs by a player in his first three seasons.[49]

In 157 games, Pujols hit 43 home runs (fourth in the league, behind Jim Thome, Richie Sexson and Bonds) and had 124 RBI's (tied with Sexson for fourth and behind Preston Wilson, Gary Sheffield and Thome).[50] He became the youngest player since Tommy Davis in 1962 to win the NL batting title after batting .359, and he led the league in runs (137), hits (212), and doubles (51).[11][50][51] Pujols joined Rogers Hornsby as the only players in the Cardinals' history to record more than 40 homers and 200 hits in the same season.[11] Though his stellar play had Cardinals' fans chanting "M-V-P!" during home games as early as June, Pujols again finished second to Bonds in MVP voting.[52] He won his second Silver Slugger Award[53] and first Sporting News Player of the Year Award.[47] Pujols' contributions helped the Cardinals rank second in batting average and third in home runs in the NL; however, the pitching staff posted a 4.60 ERA, which was below the league average, and the Cardinals missed the playoffs.[54]

New contract (2004–2005)

After receiving many awards in his first three seasons, Pujols was rewarded monetarily for his accomplishments on February 20, 2004, when he signed a seven-year, $100 million contract extension with a $16 million club option for 2011 with no-trade provisions.[55] He was moved to first base in 2004 after the Cardinals traded Tino Martinez in the offseason.[56][57] On June 16, he hit a walk-off home run against Reds pitcher Mike Matthews in the 10th inning of a 4–3 victory.[58]

Pujols' highlights later in the season included a July game in which he hit five RBI and three home runs in a thrilling win over the rival Chicago Cubs, and another in which he broke up a no-hitter by Giants pitcher Dustin Hermanson.[59][60] During a September game against the Rockies, he earned his 500th RBI, joining Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams as the only players to have 500 RBI in their first four seasons. He said he was confident there was going to be "a lot more."[61] Although Pujols was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis during the second half of the season, he finished the season with a .331 average (fifth in the league), 196 hits (fifth), 51 doubles (second to Lyle Overbay's 53), 46 home runs (tied with Adam Dunn for second behind Adrián Beltré's 48), and 123 RBIs (third, behind Vinny Castilla's 131 and Scott Rolen's 124) in 154 games.[11] He also led the league in runs scored, with 133.[62] On defense, he tied for the league lead in errors by a first baseman, with 14.[63] He finished third in MVP voting (behind Bonds and Beltré), joining Musial as the only Cardinals to finish in the top five in voting for at least four years in a row.[64] He won the Silver Slugger Award at first base, the third position he won the award at.[65] Pujols, along with teammates Edmonds and Rolen, earned the nickname "MV3" for their phenomenal seasons; Pujols led the three in home runs and batting average.[66]

The Cardinals won the NL Central, aided by the MVP and pitcher Chris Carpenter, who won 15 games and had a 3.46 ERA his first season with the team.[67][68] In Game 4 of the NLDS against the Dodgers, Pujols hit a three-run home run against Wilson Álvarez and had four RBI as the Cardinals won, 6–2, and took the series three games to one.[69] In Game 6 of the NLCS, Pujols had three hits, scored three runs (including the winning run), and hit a two-run home run off Munro in a 12-inning, 6–4 victory.[70] The Cardinals won the series in seven games, advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1987. Pujols was named the NLCS MVP after batting .500 with four home runs and nine RBI.[71] He was one of three Cardinals to bat over .250 in the series against the Boston Red Sox (after batting .333) as the Cardinals were swept by Boston in four games.[72]

By 2005, many baseball fans thought that Pujols was the best Cardinal since Musial.[73] Pujols picked up his 100th RBI of the season on August 31, joining Williams, DiMaggio and Al Simmons as the only players with 100 RBI in their first five seasons.[74] Pujols hit his 200th career home run in a game against the Reds on September 30, making him the third-youngest major league player to reach that milestone (behind Mel Ott and Eddie Mathews) and the second-fastest to reach it (behind Kiner).[75] In 161 games, Pujols batted .330 (second to Derrek Lee's .335 average) with 195 hits (fourth behind Lee, Miguel Cabrera and Jimmy Rollins), 38 doubles, 41 home runs (third, behind Andruw Jones' 51 and Lee's 46), 117 RBI's (tied with Burrell for second behind Jones' 128), and 129 runs scored (first in the league).[76] For the first time in his career, he won the NL MVP award as Bonds was limited to 14 games due to an injury.[77]

Pujols returned to the playoffs as the Cardinals won the NL Central for the second year in a row.[78] He had five hits in nine at-bats with four runs scored and two RBI in the NLDS as the Cardinals swept the Padres.[11] In Game 5 of the NLCS against the Astros, with the Cardinals trailing by two runs and only one out from elimination in the ninth inning, Pujols hit a game-winning three-run home run against Brad Lidge that landed on the train tracks in the back of Minute Maid Park. The Cardinals won 5–4.[79] MLB.com writer Matthew Leach later called it "one of the most famous playoff home runs in recent years."[80] Nevertheless, the Cardinals were eliminated in Game 6 by the Astros. Pujols batted .304 with two home runs and six RBI in the series.[43]

Continued success and first World Series (2006–2008)

 
Pujols in 2006

Over two games in April 2006, Pujols hit home runs in four consecutive plate appearances, making him the 20th player to accomplish the feat. Pujols maintained after the game that he was more concerned with winning than the numbers: "I don't look at numbers," he said. "I don't know. I didn't know anything about [the record] until you guys brought it up. Because that's not me. I don't get locked in on numbers. I don't get locked in on anything like that. I get locked in on seeing the ball and helping my team out to win and hopefully doing some damage out there."[81] Pujols had three hits and four RBI, including his 1,000th career hit (a home run against Jerome Williams), as the Cardinals defeated the Cubs 9–3 on April 21, 2006.[82] On June 4, he was placed on the disabled list (DL) for the first time in his career with a strained right oblique that kept him out for three weeks.[83][84] On August 22, Pujols hit a three-run home run and a grand slam against John Maine in an 8–7 loss to the Mets.[85] On September 28, with the Cardinals trailing the Padres 2–1 in the eighth inning, he hit a three-run home run against Cla Meredith, helping the Cardinals win 4–2 and end a seven-game losing streak. The win preserved the Cardinals' 1.5-game division lead; La Russa later called it "the most huge of the huge ones he's hit."[86]

 
Pujols at the 2006 All-Star Game

Pujols finished the season with a .331 average (third to Freddy Sanchez's .344 and Cabrera's .339), 177 hits, 33 doubles, 49 home runs (second to Ryan Howard's 58), 137 RBI (second to Howard, 149) and 119 runs scored (tied with Matt Holliday, Hanley Ramírez, and Alfonso Soriano for fifth).[11][87] Of his 49 home runs, 20 produced a game-winning RBI, breaking Willie Mays' single-season record set in 1962.[88][89] He finished second to Howard in MVP voting and won the NL Gold Glove Award for first base.[90] He won his first of four consecutive Fielding Bible Awards for the first base position.[91]

Led by Pujols and Carpenter, the Cardinals won the NL Central and reached the playoffs for the third year in a row.[80] In Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres, he hit a game-winning two-run home run against Jake Peavy as the Cardinals won 5–1.[92] He had a game-winning RBI against David Wells and had three hits in Game 2 as the Cardinals won 2–0.[93] He batted .333 with a home run and an RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Padres in four games.[43] In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Mets, Pujols scored three runs as the Cardinals won 9–6.[94] He batted .318 with one home run and one RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Mets in seven games.[43] In Game 1 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers, he hit a two-run home run against Justin Verlander as the Cardinals won 7–2.[95] In Game 5, he made a sprawling, flip-from-his-back play to rob Plácido Polanco of a hit as the Cardinals clinched the series, giving Pujols his first career World Series ring.[96]

 
Pujols preparing to hit

Near the beginning of the 2007 season in an April 22 game against the Cubs, Pujols hit a game-winning three-run home run against Ryan Dempster in the 10th inning of a 12–9 victory, tying Ken Boyer for second all-time on the Cardinals' home run list with his 255th.[97] Pujols finished the season with 185 hits, 38 doubles and 103 RBI (a career-low). He was among the league leaders in batting average (.327, sixth) and home runs (32, tied for tenth).[98] He scored 99 runs, ending his streak of seasons with at least 30 home runs, a .300 average, 100 runs scored and 100 RBI, at six.[11] He grounded into a major-league-leading 27 double plays.[99] He finished ninth in MVP voting, the first year he had finished outside the top five.[100]

Pujols began 2008 by reaching base in 42 straight games, the longest streak to open a season since 1999.[11] On June 11, he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained left calf muscle.[101][102] Pujols hit his 300th home run against Bob Howry on July 4 in a 2–1 loss to the Cubs. He said after the game that to him it was "just another homer that goes out of the park. I'm happy to do it in front of our fans; they were waiting for it."[103] On September 11, in a 3–2 loss to the Cubs, Pujols hit his 100th RBI of the season against Rich Harden, making him the third player in major league history to start his career with eight seasons of at least 100 RBI (along with Al Simmons and Ted Williams). He regretted that the milestone came in a loss, saying, "I wish it would have come with a great win. It would have been more special."[104]

 
Pujols is among the top 5 players all-time in home runs, RBIs, doubles, and total bases.

In 148 games in 2008, Pujols batted .357 (second to Chipper Jones' .364 average) with 187 hits (third, behind Reyes's 204 and David Wright's 189), 44 doubles (tied with Stephen Drew and Aramis Ramírez for fourth in the league behind Berkman and Nate McLouth's 46 and Corey Hart's 45), 37 home runs (tied with Ryan Braun and Ryan Ludwick for fourth in the league behind Howard's 48, Dunn's 40, and Delgado's 38), 116 RBI (fourth, behind Howard's 146, Wrights 124 and Adrián González's 119) and 100 runs scored.[105] He grounded into a National League-leading 27 double plays.[106] Pujols won his second NL MVP Award, and he won the Silver Slugger Award for the fourth time in his career.[107][108] He was named The Sporting News Player of the Year for the second time in his career.[109] For his work off the field, he was named the 2008 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award.[110] He considered having Tommy John surgery after the season but underwent nerve transposition surgery on his right elbow instead to ease discomfort.[111][112]

Later Cardinals career and second World Series (2009–2011)

 
Pujols participating in the 2009 Home Run Derby

On April 25, 2009, Pujols picked up his 1,000th career RBI with a 441-foot grand slam against David Patton in an 8–2 victory over the Cubs. "I hit that ball as good as I can hit a ball," he said after the game.[113] On July 3, he hit his 10th career grand slam against Weathers in a 7–4 victory over the Reds, breaking Musial's record for most grand slams by a Cardinal. The grand slam was also his 350th career home run, making him the third-fastest player to reach the milestone, behind Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr.[114] He received the highest number of votes in NL history for the All-Star Game that year.[115]

Pujols had four hits, scored three runs, and knocked in five RBI on August 4, including a grand slam against Sean Green that tied the NL record for most grand slams in a season (five), in a 10-inning, 12–7 victory over the Mets.[116] In 160 games, Pujols batted .327 (third, behind Ramírez's .342 and Pablo Sandoval's .330) with 186 hits (sixth), 45 doubles (second to Miguel Tejada's 46), 47 home runs (first), 135 RBI (third behind Fielder and Howard's 141) and 124 runs scored (first).[117] He was unanimously named the NL MVP for the third time, tying Musial as the Cardinals' leader in that category.[118] For the fifth time in his career, he won the Silver Slugger Award.[119] He won the Sporting News MLB Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year, joining Williams and Joe Morgan as the only players to win it in back-to-back years.[120] For the fourth year in a row, he won the Fielding Bible Award for first base.

Aided by the mid-season acquisition of Matt Holliday (who replaced Ryan Ludwick as the cleanup hitter) and the emergence of Adam Wainwright (who led the NL in wins), the Cardinals returned to the playoffs after a two-year hiatus.[121][122][123] In the NLDS against the Dodgers, Pujols batted .300 with one RBI as the Cardinals were swept in three games.[43] Following the postseason, Pujols had surgery to remove five bone spurs from his right elbow. The Cardinals called the surgery a "success," and Dr. James Andrews decided that Pujols did not need Tommy John surgery.[124][125]

For April 2010, Pujols earned his first Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Month Award. He batted .348, 1.270 OPS, three home runs and 14 RBI with runners on base. Further, in situations with his team leading by one run, tied, or having the potential tying run on base, at bat, or on deck after the seventh inning ("late-and-close"), he batted .583 (7-for-12) with a home run, two doubles, three RBI and five runs scored.[126] On June 29, in an 8–0 victory over the Diamondbacks, Pujols hit five RBI and hit two home runs against Dontrelle Willis for his 37th career multi-homer game, which tied Musial's franchise record for multi-homer games. "It's pretty special," he said of tying Musial. "I'm blessed to have the opportunity to be compared sometimes with him."[127] On August 26, he hit his 400th career home run against Jordan Zimmermann in a 13-inning, 11–10 loss to the Nationals. He became the third-youngest player to reach the milestone – behind Griffey Jr. and Rodriguez – and he became the fourth-quickest player by at bats to reach the milestone (behind McGwire, Babe Ruth, Harmon Killebrew, and Thome).[128] On September 11, in a 12-inning 6–3 loss to Atlanta, Pujols had three RBI and reached 100 RBI for the 10th consecutive year with a two-run double against Tommy Hanson. Only Al Simmons has a longer streak of 100 RBI seasons at the beginning of a career, with 11. Pujols joined Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, and Rodriguez in having 10 consecutive seasons of 100 or more RBI at any time in their career. Foxx and Rodriguez are the only two players besides Pujols to have 10 consecutive years of 30 home runs and 100 RBI.[129] The next day, in a 7–3 victory over the Braves, he passed Musial to be the all-time Cardinals' leader in multi-home run games when he hit two home runs against Tim Hudson for the 38th time in a game.[130]

In 159 games, Pujols batted .312 (sixth) with 183 hits (fifth) and 39 doubles (tied for eighth with Marlon Byrd); he led the league in runs scored (115), home runs (42) and RBI (118).[131] He won his second Gold Glove Award for first base,[132] and he won the NL First Base Silver Slugger Award for the sixth time.[133] He finished second in the NL MVP voting to Joey Votto, who said he was "shocked" that Pujols only got one first-place vote.[134]

Pujols and the Cardinals set a deadline for the start of 2011 spring training for contract extension negotiations[135] but failed to reach an agreement.[136] After Pujols struggled in his first 30 games of the season in batting .231,[137] he batted .316 with 30 home runs in his final 117 games.[138] Against the Cubs, he hit consecutive extra-inning walk-off home runs on June 4 and 5 for the first time since Albert Belle in 1995. Carpenter noted after the game that Pujols' slump earlier in the year was over: "He continues to do great things, there's no doubt about it," he said. "The things that he's done the last few days have been just like the old Albert."[139] On June 19 against the Royals, Wilson Betemit collided with Pujols, inducing a small fracture his left wrist and keeping him inactive until July 5.[140][141] On July 30, in a 9–2 victory over the Cubs, he got his 2,000th career hit against Carlos Mármol, becoming the fifth Cardinal to reach 2,000 hits and 12th-fastest major leaguer by games to reach the milestone.[142] In the Cardinals' final game of the season, against the Astros on September 28, he had the game-winning RBI against Brett Myers in the 8–0 victory, helping the Cardinals overcome a 10.5-game deficit to Atlanta to win the Wild Card.[143]

Pujols finished the season with 173 hits (tied for ninth with Aramis Ramírez), 29 doubles (a career-low), and 105 runs scored (tied for third with Justin Upton behind Ryan Braun's 109 and Matt Kemp's 115).[11][144] He saw his streak of seasons batting at least .300 with 30 home runs and 100 RBI snapped when he hit 37 home runs (third, behind Fielder's 38 and Kemp's 39), but batted .299 with 99 RBI (seventh); however, only three other players in the major leagues matched him in those categories (José Bautista, Fielder, and Kemp), causing Tyler Kepner of The New York Times to write, "Even when Pujols struggles, he excels."[144][145] He grounded into a major-league leading 29 double plays.[99] He was fifth in MVP voting.[146]

 
Pujols during the 2011 World Series parade. His historic Game 3 performance included three home runs.

In Game 2 of the NLDS against the Phillies on October 2, Pujols had a game-winning RBI single against Cliff Lee in the 5–4 victory.[147] He batted .350 with one RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Phillies in five games.[43] In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Brewers, he had four hits, three runs scored, one home run and five RBI, in a 12–3 victory.[148] He batted .478 with two home runs and nine RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Brewers in six games.[43] On October 22, in Game 3 of the World Series, Pujols had five hits, three home runs, four runs scored and six RBI in a 16–7 victory over the Rangers. He joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players in baseball history to hit three home runs in a World Series game, set a series record with 14 total bases, became the first player in series history to have hits in four consecutive innings, and tied records for most hits and most RBI in a World Series game.[149][150][151][152] He had one hit and no RBI the other six games of the series but became a World Series champion for the second time as the Cardinals defeated the Rangers in seven games.[43] After the season, he became a free agent for the first time in his career.[153]

Los Angeles Angels (2012–2021)

Three teams were reported to be interested in Pujols during the 2011 offseason: the Cardinals, the Miami Marlins, and the Los Angeles Angels. The Cardinals offered Pujols a 10-year, $210 million deal (with $30 million deferred), but Pujols rejected it. His wife, Deidre, explained on a radio talk show that they were "insulted" and "confused" that the Cardinals had initially offered Pujols a five-year deal.[154] The Marlins reportedly offered Pujols a 10-year contract too, but on December 8, he signed a 10-year deal with the Angels worth around $254 million.[155][156][157]

Early Angels tenure (2012–2016)

 
Pujols in 2012

Pujols did not perform very well to begin the 2012 season, batting .217 with no home runs and four RBI in the month of April.[158] Soon after the Angels called up top prospect Mike Trout and fired hitting coach Mickey Hatcher, Pujols' numbers began to rise, as he batted .323 with 13 home runs from May 15 through the All-Star Break.[159][160][161][162] On July 31, he hit two home runs against Derek Holland in a 6–2 victory over the Rangers. After the game, Holland observed that Pujols had "definitely turned it around, no doubt about it... He had a slow start, but he's picked it up. He's a great hitter...."[163] On August 14, Pujols had four RBIs, including a game-winning three-run home run against Ubaldo Jiménez in a 9–6 victory over the Cleveland Indians.[164] In 2012, Pujols batted .285 (at the time, a career low) in 153 games with 173 hits, 50 doubles (second to Alex Gordon's 51), 30 home runs, 105 RBIs (7th in AL), and 85 runs scored.[165]

In 2013, Pujols had by far the worst season of his career to date, failing to play at least 100 games in a season for the first time. Pujols also posted career worsts in hits, runs scored, doubles, home runs, RBI, walks, batting average, on-base percentage, slugging percentage, and OPS. Overall in 99 games, Pujols batted .258 with 101 hits, 19 doubles, 17 home runs, 64 RBI, and 49 runs scored. On August 19, 2013, Pujols was ruled out for the remainder of the 2013 season after suffering a foot injury.[166] In August 2013, on his St. Louis WGNU radio show, former Cardinals player Jack Clark accused Pujols of having used performance-enhancing drugs. Clark served as the Cardinals' hitting coach during the early part of Pujols' tenure in St. Louis. On the morning of August 9, Pujols issued a statement adamantly denying that he had ever taken PEDs. He denounced Clark's allegations as "irresponsible and reckless," and threatened to sue Clark and WGNU over the allegations.[167] Partly due to legal threats from Pujols, InsideSTL Enterprises, which owns WGNU's weekday airtime under a time brokerage agreement, cut ties with Clark.[168][169][170][171] On October 4, 2013, Pujols filed a defamation lawsuit against Clark.[172] In response, Clark challenged Pujols, proposing that they both take polygraph tests to resolve who is telling the truth.[173] However, on February 10, 2014, Clark apologized and retracted his accusations against Pujols, saying he had "no knowledge whatsoever" that Pujols ever used PEDs. "During a heated discussion on air, I misspoke," Clark said. In return, Pujols dropped the suit.[174]

On April 22, 2014, Pujols hit his 499th and 500th home runs off the Washington Nationals' Taylor Jordan at Nationals Park, where he had hit his 400th career home run in the 2010 season.[175] Pujols became the 26th player ever to reach the 500-home-run mark, the third-youngest to reach it, and the only player to hit Nos. 499 and 500 in the same game. On August 10, he played in MLB's longest game of the year, and the longest in the history of Angel Stadium, ending the 19-inning, 6-hours-and-31-minute contest against the Red Sox with a solo home run for a 5–4 final score. It was his first walk-off home run as an Angel and first since June 2011.[176] On September 6, against the Minnesota Twins, Pujols collected his 2,500th career hit, a two-run go-ahead double off of Jared Burton in the 9th inning. He also passed the 1,500-run mark in the same game. In the process, he became the fifth player in major league history with 2,500 hits and 500 home runs while maintaining a .310 lifetime batting average, after Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Ted Williams and Manny Ramirez.[177]

For the 2014 season, Pujols batted .272 and grounded into an American League-leading 28 double plays.[99] He was tied for the 3rd-highest salary in the AL, at $23 million.[178] After the 2014 season, Pujols traveled to Japan to join a team of MLB All-Stars playing against the All-Stars of Nippon Professional Baseball in the Japan All-Star Series.[179]

Before the 2015 season, Pujols enjoyed his first offseason in his time with the Angels in which he was both free of injury or recuperation from injury. However, his offensive production lagged behind his career levels the first month of the season. By the end of April, Pujols was batting .208 with three home runs and nine RBI in 86 plate appearances. The next month, Pujols' offensive production had started to come around. Between May 28 and June 22, he batted .356 with 15 homers, 30 RBI, and a 1.326 OPS. At this time, he was leading the American League in home runs with 23.[180] After batting .303/.395/.737 with 13 home runs in June 2015, Pujols was named AL Player of the Month for the first time and seventh overall monthly award. His home run total led the major leagues and 73 total bases tied Manny Machado for first in the AL. Remarkably, his batting average on balls in play was .218, significantly lower than the league average of about .300.[181] Selected to the All Star Game, Pujols was announced as a reserve for the American League. Due to an injury just days earlier with Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera, Pujols instead started at first base. It was his 10th overall selection to the midsummer classic, and first as a member of the Angels.[182] On September 22, Pujols hit his 556th career home run to pass Ramírez for sole possession of 14th place on the all-time career home run leaderboard.[183] In the last game of the season, on October 4, Pujols hit his 40th home run, the seventh time he had done so in a season. Among active MLB players, he trailed only Alex Rodriguez, with eight. With Trout also hitting 40 home runs, the 2015 Angels became just the 31st team in MLB history with multiple players to hit 40+ home runs in a season.[184]

For the 2015 season, he batted .244/.307/.480, and he had the lowest batting average on balls in play (.217) of all major league players.[185] He was tied for the 3rd-highest salary in the AL, at $24 million.[186]

On April 30, 2016, Pujols became the 85th player to make 10,000 career plate appearances.[187] On May 2, Pujols became the 20th player all-time to amass 5,000 career total bases. On August 17, Pujols joined Barry Bonds as the only other player to be intentionally walked over 300 times. Playing the Toronto Blue Jays on August 25, he reached 100 RBI for the 13th time in his career, the fifth player to do so.[188] While playing Cincinnati on August 29, Pujols hit his 26th home run and 103rd RBI of the season. The home run tied him with Frank Robinson for ninth place on the all-time home run list at 586, and allowed him to become the seventh player all-time with 1,200 career extra base hits, and the 21st to reach 1,800 RBI.[189] On September 16, Pujols became the 16th player all-time to reach 600 career doubles.[190]

Pujols batted .268 for the 2016 season. He tied for 2nd in the AL in double plays grounded into, with 24.[191] He had the 6th-highest salary in the league, at $25 million.[192]

Later Angels tenure (2017–2021)

 
Pujols in 2017

On June 3, 2017, Pujols became the ninth player in Major League history to hit at least 600 home runs, when he hit a grand slam off of Ervin Santana of the Minnesota Twins.[193] He was the fourth-youngest player to achieve the feat (behind Alex Rodriguez, Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron), and the first to hit a grand slam for his 600th home run.[193]

For the 2017 season, Pujols played in 149 games and had 593 at bats, but set career-lows in batting average (.241), on base percentage (.286), slugging percentage (.386), doubles (17), and walks (37), while leading the majors by grounding into 26 double plays.[194] He had the slowest baserunning sprint speed of all major league players, at 21.8 feet/second.[195] He had the 6th-highest salary in the AL, at $26 million.[196]

On May 4, 2018, Pujols recorded his 3,000th major league hit, against Mike Leake of the Seattle Mariners.[197][4] On July 12, Pujols hit his 630th career home run, moving into a tie with Ken Griffey Jr. for sixth place all-time for that category. The next day, Pujols was placed on the 10-day disabled list due to left knee inflammation.[198] He hit a single on August 10 for his 1,000th hit as an Angel, becoming the ninth player to record 1,000 hits in both the American League and National League.[199] He had surgery on his left knee in August, ending his season, and on his right elbow to remove a bone spur in September.[200]

In 2018, he batted .245/.289/.411 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs (matching the lowest season total of his career).[99] He had the slowest baserunning sprint speed of all major league players for the second consecutive year, at 22.2 feet/second.[201][202] He was the sixth-oldest player in the American League.[203] He had the 5th-highest salary in the AL, at $27 million.[204]

On May 9, 2019, Pujols became the fourth player in major league history to record 2,000 RBIs, hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park.[205] A Tigers fan caught the 2,000 RBI ball but refused to turn it over to MLB officials, saying that he wanted to sleep on it before making a decision. In response, MLB refused to authenticate the ball. The fan, Ely Hydes, eventually decided that he wanted to return the ball to Pujols, who in turn refused, stating that the fan should either keep the ball or donate it to the Baseball Hall of Fame.[206][207] Pujols hit his 200th home run as an Angel on June 13, becoming only the sixth player to hit 200 home runs with two different teams.[208]

In 2019, he batted .244/.305/.430. Pujols had the lowest line drive percentage of all major league hitters (15.3%), and the 16.7% of balls he hit to the opposite field were the lowest in baseball.[209][210] He had the second-slowest sprint speed of all major league players, at 22.5 feet/second.[211] He was the third-oldest player in the American League, behind Ichiro Suzuki (who retired in March) and Fernando Rodney.[212] He was tied for the 4th-highest salary in the AL, at $28 million.[213]

At the beginning of the 2020 season, Pujols (at the age of 40) was the oldest player in the major leagues.[214] On August 24, Pujols passed Rodriguez to reach second on the all-time RBIs list with a single against the Astros. With his 2,087th RBI, he trailed only Hank Aaron's 2,297. (Babe Ruth has 2,214 RBIs as recognized by Baseball Reference, but only 1,989 on the official MLB list; MLB does not count pre-1920 RBIs because it was not yet an official statistic.)[215] On September 18, Pujols hit his 661st career home run to pass Willie Mays for fifth place all-time.[216]

In 2020, Pujols batted .224/.270/.395 with 6 home runs and 25 RBIs in 152 at bats.[217] He had the slowest sprint speed of all major league players, at 22.0 feet/second.[218] He was tied for the 7th-highest salary in the league, at $29 million.[219]

Pujols began the 2021 season with the Angels. On May 6, 2021, the Angels designated Pujols for assignment. Through 24 games, Pujols was hitting .198/.250/.372 with five home runs.[220] On May 13, Pujols cleared waivers and became a free agent.[221]

Assessment of Angels tenure

In nine-plus seasons with the Angels, Pujols hit .256 with 222 homers and 783 runs batted in.[222] During his time with the Angels, the team won the AL West once (in 2014) and won no postseason games.

In 2016, sportswriter Joe Posnanski of NBC Sports described Pujols as "a cautionary tale against big contracts" and "an overpaid designated hitter in the middle of the lineup for a going-nowhere Los Angeles Angels team".[223]

In an August 7, 2018, article entitled "How the shift has ruined Albert Pujols," ESPN sportswriter Alden Gonzalez wrote:

"The recent proliferation of defensive shifts has made it exceedingly difficult for power hitters to turn batted balls into hits, prompting an infatuation with launch angles and breeding a widespread acceptance of strikeouts. Few have been victimized more than Pujols, the aging slugger who still makes frequent contact but no longer runs well... [T]he modern game is especially unforgiving to older hitters, and it has intensified the decline of arguably the greatest first baseman in baseball history."[224]

Los Angeles Dodgers (2021)

On May 17, 2021, Pujols agreed to a one-year major league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.[225] He made his Dodgers debut that night as the starting first baseman against the Arizona Diamondbacks.[226] With his longtime number 5 having been assigned to Corey Seager, Pujols chose the number 55; both as nods to his two former teams, as well as the Bible. "If you know the bible," Pujols explained, "it's the number of grace. So I feel 5-5, double grace."[227] On May 20, Pujols hit his first home run as a Dodger, a two-run homer off Merrill Kelly of the Diamondbacks.[228] In October, Scott Miller of The New York Times asserted that Pujols had "flourished beyond expectations, scorching lefties for a .306 batting average".[229]

Overall, in 2021 he appeared in 85 games for the Dodgers and hit .254 with a .299 on base percentage, 12 homers, and 38 RBIs.[230] For the second season in a row, he had the slowest baserunning sprint speed of all major league players, at 22.4 feet/second.[231] His line drive percentage of 15.4% was the lowest in the major leagues, and his 16.7% of balls hit to the opposite field was the lowest in the majors.[232] He was the oldest player in the league for the second season in a row,[233] and had the fifth-highest salary at $30 million.[217]

In his first postseason appearance since 2014, he appeared in nine games for the Dodgers, with five hits in 18 at bats for a batting average of .278.[230] Pujols subsequently announced that he would play in the Dominican Professional Baseball League (LIDOM) in the offseason, for Leones del Escogido.[234]

Return to St. Louis (2022)

 
Pujols hits a pitch during a game against the Padres on September 22, 2022.

On March 28, 2022, Pujols signed a one-year contract to return to the St. Louis Cardinals and announced that 2022 would be his final season.[235] He said, "There were a lot of teams interested. It took 12 hours, maybe even less, to get a deal done once we received a call from the Cardinals," adding: "We have the best fans in baseball. It feels like I never left."[236] He was the oldest player in the major leagues for the third season in a row.[237]

On May 15, Pujols made his pitching debut, the oldest player to do so since 1929. In a 15–6 blowout win against the San Francisco Giants, he gave up two home runs and four earned runs in the ninth inning.[238] On June 4 against the Chicago Cubs, he became the 10th major league player to play 3,000 games, appearing as an injury replacement for Corey Dickerson.[239] On June 7 against the Tampa Bay Rays, Pujols singled for his 3,320th career hit, passing Paul Molitor for tenth all-time in hits.[240] On July 10, after the Philadelphia Phillies had shut out the Cardinals in three straight games, Pujols made a rare start against a right-handed pitcher, and his three hits, including a home run, helped spark a 4–3 win. The home run was Pujols' 1,377th extra-base hit, tying him for third all-time with Stan Musial.[241] Pujols was chosen to be on the National League team for the All-Star Game by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred as a "legacy" selection to honor his career achievements.[242] He was also selected to participate in the Home Run Derby, where he advanced to the second round and fell one home run short of eventual winner Juan Soto.[243]

This could have happened last week in St. Louis, which would have been awesome to me, but to allow it to happen tonight in front of my family and friends and people who really care and love me is special.

―Pujols on hitting his 700th home run in Los Angeles.[244]

On August 20, he passed Musial for second place all-time in total bases, trailing only Hank Aaron.[245] On August 22, he was named the National League Player of the Week alongside teammate Paul Goldschmidt after hitting .615 with three home runs and seven RBIs.[246] On August 29, Pujols hit a third-inning home run off of Ross Detwiler of the Cincinnati Reds. Detwiler was the 450th unique pitcher to surrender a home run to Pujols, who thus broke a record belonging to Barry Bonds.[247] On September 10 and 11, Pujols hit his 696th and 697th home runs, at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates, to move into fourth place on the all-time list.[248] On September 14, he became the second player in MLB history to officially compile 2,200 RBIs.[249] On September 23, Pujols became the fourth player to hit 700 career home runs.[5] His 699th and 700th home runs came during consecutive at-bats during an 11–0 victory for the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium.[250] He hit No. 699 off Andrew Heaney, his 200th home run off a left-handed pitcher; and his 700th off Phil Bickford, his 500th home run off a right-handed pitcher.[251] On October 2, he hit No. 702 in his last career home game, mirroring the home run he hit in his St. Louis debut two decades earlier.[252] On October 3, he hit No. 703, which gave him sole possession of second place on the all-time RBI list, surpassing Babe Ruth's total.[253] Pujols finished his regular-season career first in double plays grounded into (426), third in sacrifice flies (123), fifth in games played (3,080) and doubles (686), and sixth in at bats (11,421).[6]

The Cardinals won the National League Central division, earning a berth in the postseason and enabling Pujols' 10th and final postseason appearance.[254] He went 2-for-8 in the National League Wild Card Series with the Philadelphia Phillies. In Game 2 on October 8, he singled in his last two at-bats. The Phillies won the game, eliminating the Cardinals and bringing Pujols' playing career to an end.[255][256] On November 1, it was announced that Pujols had signed retirement papers with the Cardinals.[257]

After the season was finished, Pujols was awarded the Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award, along with Justin Verlander.[258][259]

Playing style

Pujols' swing was praised for its consistency. "It's the same swing every time," former teammate Lance Berkman once said.[260] "He has the ability to repeat his swing over and over and over, which leads to him being very consistent," Cardinals' video coordinator Chad Blair said. Sports Illustrated writer Daniel G. Habib described the swing as "quick" and "quiet". Pujols used a 32.5-ounce bat against right-handed pitchers, but used a 33-ounce bat against left-handers to avoid trying to pull the ball when he swung.[261] He credited his hitting ability partly to learning what pitchers would do in certain counts and situations:

I can tell right away from the first pitch if they're going to pitch to me or not with men on base. I need to be aggressive and make sure I look for my pitch and be ready. If it's there, be ready to swing. If it's not there, take it. There's just something there in my mind and you know right away the situation will dictate the situation you're in.

— The New York Times: May 31, 2009[262]

Accomplishments and accolades

Pujols is second in major league history in runs batted in and total bases behind only Hank Aaron. He and Aaron are the only two players to amass 3,000 hits, 700 home runs, and 2,200 RBIs.[a] Only two other players (Stan Musial and Willie Mays) have surpassed 6,000 total bases. Pujols hit home runs off of a record 458 different pitchers over the course of his career,[263] and is fourth in career home runs and fifth in doubles. In 2009, Pujols set the major league single-season record for assists by a first baseman with 185.[11][264]

Pujols is the all-time leader in double plays hit into. One of the reasons Pujols hit into so many double plays in his career is that he was one of the best hitters ever at making contact. In an age when seasons of 150+ strikeouts were the norm for sluggers, he never struck out at least 100 times in a season.

Pujols, "who will go down as one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time," became the first player to produce four hits and two homers in a single game at the age of 42 or older in August 2022.[265] Given his career achievements, Pujols is widely expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and potentially a unanimous selection the first year in which he becomes eligible (2028).[266][267][268]

Pujols has earned praise from many of his fellow players and coaches. In 2008, he was named the most feared hitter in baseball in a poll of all 30 MLB managers.[269] La Russa has called him "the best player I've ever managed."[270] Division rival Joey Votto referred to him as "one of the greatest hitters of all time."[271] Larry Walker called him "a great hitter,"[69] and Brendan Ryan said, "He's the best there is."[272] Fernando Viña said, while Pujols was in his first stint with the Cardinals, "He's the face of the Cardinals."[20]

Awards and honors

Championships earned or shared
Title Times Dates Ref
National League batting champion 1 2003 [51]
National League champion 3 2004, 2006, 2011 [71][43]
Pacific Coast League champion 1 2000 [19]
World Series champion 2 2006, 2011 [96][43]
Awards received
Name of award Times Dates Ref
Baseball America Major League Player of the Year 1 2005
ESPY Award for Best International Athlete 2 2005, 2006
ESPY Award for Best MLB Player 4 2005, 2006, 2009, 2010 [273]
Fielding Bible Award at first base 5 2006−09, 2011 [91][274]
GIBBY/This Year in Baseball Awards for Hitter of the Year 2 2003, 2008 [275]
Hank Aaron Award 2 2003, 2009 [276][277]
Heart and Hustle Award 1 2009
League Championship Series Most Valuable Player 1 2004 [71]
MLB All-Star 11 2001, 2003−10, 2015, 2022 [11][44][278][279][280]
[281][282][115][45][283][284]
MLB Player of the Month 7 May 2003, June 2003, April 2006, April 2009,
June 2009, August 2010, June 2015 		[285][286][287]
[288][289][181]
MLB Player of the Week 14 Sep. 22, 2001 (with José Mesa);
Jul. 7, 2002; May 4, 2003;
Jun. 5, 2005 (with Nick Johnson);
May 14, 2006 (with Nomar Garciaparra);
Jul. 15, 2007; Aug. 24, 2008;
Sep. 28, 2008; Apr. 26, 2009;
Jun. 21, 2009; Jun. 5, 2011;
Aug. 5, 2012; Aug. 20, 2022 (with Paul Goldschmidt);
Sept. 24, 2022 (with Pete Alonso);
 [11][290][291]
[292][293][294][295]
[296][297][298][299]
National League Most Valuable Player 3 2005, 2008, 2009 [77][107][118]
National League Rookie of the Year 1 2001 [30]
Pacific Coast League Postseason Most Valuable Player 1 2000 [7]
Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Month 1 April 2010 [126]
Players Choice Award for Major League Player of the Year 3 2003, 2008, 2009 [300][301][302]
Players Choice Award for Marvin Miller Man of the Year 1 2006 [303]
Players Choice Award for National League Outstanding Player 3 2003, 2008, 2009 [300][304][302]
Rawlings Gold Glove Award at first base 2 2006, 2010 [90][132]
Roberto Clemente Award 1 2008 [110]
Silver Slugger Award 6 at 3B: 2001; at OF: 2003; at 1B: 2004, 2008−10 [11][53][65][108][119][133]
The Sporting News Player of the Decade 1 2000−09 [305][306]
The Sporting News Player of the Year 3 2003, 2008, 2009 [47][109][120]
Sports Illustrated Player of the Decade 1 2000−09 [307][308]
National League statistical leader
Category Times Seasons
Batting champion 1 2003
Doubles leader 1 2003
Extra base hits leader 4 2003, 2004, 2009, 2010
Hits leader 1 2003
Home run leader 2 2009, 2010
On-base percentage leader 1 2009
On-base plus slugging leader 3 2006, 2008, 2009
OPS+ leader 4 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010
Runs batted in leader 1 2010
Runs scored leader 5 2003−05, 2009, 2010
Slugging percentage leader 3 2006, 2008, 2009
Total bases leader 4 2003, 2004, 2008, 2009
Grounded into double plays leader 2 2007, 2011

Notes: Through 2017 season. Per Baseball-Reference.com.

Other endeavors

Business ventures

In 2006, Pujols and the Hanon family opened Pujols 5 Westport Grill, a restaurant located in Westport Plaza of Maryland Heights, Missouri.[309] A 10-foot, 1,100-lb. statue of Pujols was dedicated on November 2, 2011, outside the restaurant. An anonymous donor commissioned sculptor Harry Weber to create the statue, which belongs to the Pujols Family Foundation.[310][311] After Pujols signed with the Angels, the restaurant was renamed the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame Grill.[312]

In 2008, Pujols teamed up with St. Louis Soccer United, a group looking to bring a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise to the St. Louis area.[313] However, the group's bid for a franchise was unsuccessful, and a USL team (Saint Louis FC) was formed.[314]

Charitable work

 
Pujols at Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally

In 2005, Albert and Deidre Pujols launched the Pujols Family Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit dedicated to their "commitment to faith, family and others." The organization promotes awareness of Down syndrome and works to support those who have it and their families, aids the poor in the Dominican Republic, and supports people with disabilities and/or life-threatening illnesses.[315] Among other activities, the foundation hosts events for people with Down syndrome. The foundation gave the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St. Louis the resources to open an office and hire staff.[316] In 2009, the Albert Pujols Wellness Center for Adults with Down Syndrome opened in Chesterfield, Missouri;[317] Pujols was present at the opening on November 18.[318] The foundation hosts an annual "All Stars Basketball Game" with down syndrome players at Missouri Baptist University.[319]

Pujols has taken several trips to the Dominican Republic, by taking supplies as well as a team of doctors and dentists to the poor who need medical care.[citation needed] The Pujols Family Foundation also holds an annual golf tournament to raise money to send dentists to the Dominican Republic.[320]

In 2009, Pujols donated money to the Mike Coolbaugh Memorial Tournament, allowing the event to occur after a sponsor backed out.[321] On August 28, 2010, Pujols and La Russa attended Glenn Beck's "Restoring Honor" rally in Washington, D.C., after being assured by Beck that the rally was not political. During the rally, Pujols was presented with a medal for his off-the-field efforts.[322][323]

Personal life

Pujols married Deidre Pujols on January 1, 2000.[324] They have five children: Isabella (Deidre's daughter from a previous relationship), Albert Jr., Sophia, Ezra and Esther Grace.[325] After 22 years of marriage, Pujols filed for divorce on April 4, 2022, citing irreconcilable differences.[326] Pujols is a devout evangelical Christian. He became an evangelical Christian on November 13, 1998, influenced in part by Deidre and his grandmother.[327][328] During his first tenure with the Cardinals, Pujols and his family attended West County Community Church, a Southern Baptist church in Wildwood, Missouri.[328]

During the offseason, Pujols lives in St. Louis.[329] He owned a home in Irvine, California, but put it up for sale in 2016.[330] Pujols is a supporter of people with Down syndrome, a condition Isabella was born with.[316] In 2007, Pujols became a U.S. citizen,[331] scoring a perfect 100 on his citizenship test.[332]

Pujols is close friends with third baseman Plácido Polanco, a former teammate with the Cardinals. Polanco has called Pujols his "closest friend in baseball," and Pujols is the godfather to Polanco's son, Ishmael.[333] Pujols is also friends with Robinson Canó, who selected Mark Trumbo for the 2012 Home Run Derby after being asked to by Pujols.[334]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Babe Ruth has over 2,200 RBIs, but unofficially, as he played six seasons before RBIs became a recognized statistic.

References

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  3. ^ Paine, Neil (April 27, 2014). "Baseball Is Finally Remembering How Good Albert Pujols Can Be". fivethirtyeight.com. from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved November 22, 2014.
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  5. ^ a b Brown, Tim (2022-09-24). "Albert Pujols Hits His 700th Career Home Run". The Wall Street Journal. ISSN 0099-9660. Retrieved 2022-09-24.
  6. ^ a b "Albert Pujols Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More". Baseball-Reference.com.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g Posnanski, Joe (March 16, 2009). "The Power To Believe". si.com. from the original on June 30, 2015. Retrieved June 28, 2015.
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  9. ^ Rains, 11
  10. ^ Saxon, Mark (April 13, 2012). "Albert Pujols on his New York roots". ESPN. from the original on April 19, 2012. Retrieved April 27, 2012.
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s "Albert Pujols Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights". MLB.com. from the original on September 30, 2011. Retrieved September 28, 2011.
  12. ^ a b c Edes, Gordon (October 11, 2006). "One that got away". The Boston Globe. from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved September 1, 2008.
  13. ^ 'The Extra 2%': Whiffing on Albert Pujols January 28, 2013, at the Wayback Machine, Jonah Keri, ESPN.com
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  15. ^ DiGiovanna, Mike (February 11, 2012). "Albert Pujols as a man among boys". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 16, 2023.
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  17. ^ "Story of Baseball in Peoria". milb.com. from the original on April 20, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2012.
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  19. ^ a b "Past Champions". milb.com. from the original on May 2, 2012. Retrieved May 2, 2012.
  20. ^ a b Wojciechowski, Gene (October 6, 2011). "Cardinals can't let Albert Pujols fly". ESPN.com. from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  21. ^ One Last Strike. LaRussa, Tony, with Rick Hummel. 2012, HarperCollins Publishers, ISBN 978-0-06-220738-8, pp. 41-42
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August 21, 2023
albert, pujols, pujols, redirects, here, other, uses, pujols, disambiguation, josé, alberto, pujols, alcántara, spanish, pronunciation, puˈxols, catalan, pronunciation, puˈʒɔls, born, january, 1980, dominican, american, former, professional, baseball, first, b. Pujols redirects here For other uses see Pujols disambiguation Jose Alberto Pujols Alcantara Spanish pronunciation puˈxols Catalan pronunciation puˈʒɔls born January 16 1980 is a Dominican American former professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter He played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball MLB for the St Louis Cardinals Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers Nicknamed The Machine Spanish La Maquina Pujols is considered to be one of the greatest baseball players of all time Albert PujolsPujols with the St Louis Cardinals in 2008First baseman Designated hitterBorn 1980 01 16 January 16 1980 age 43 Santo Domingo Dominican RepublicBatted RightThrew RightMLB debutApril 2 2001 for the St Louis CardinalsLast MLB appearanceOctober 4 2022 for the St Louis CardinalsMLB statisticsBatting average 296Hits3 384Home runs703Runs batted in2 218TeamsSt Louis Cardinals 2001 2011 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Los Angeles Angels 2012 2021 Los Angeles Dodgers 2021 St Louis Cardinals 2022 Career highlights and awards11 All Star 2001 2003 2010 2015 2022 2 World Series champion 2006 2011 3 NL MVP 2005 2008 2009 NL Rookie of the Year 2001 NLCS MVP 2004 2 Gold Glove Award 2006 2010 6 Silver Slugger Award 2001 2003 2004 2008 2010 2 NL Hank Aaron Award 2003 2009 NL Comeback Player of the Year 2022 Roberto Clemente Award 2008 NL batting champion 2003 2 NL home run leader 2009 2010 NL RBI leader 2010 Pujols is a highly regarded hitter who has long shown a combination of contact hitting ability patience and raw power 1 2 3 He was the National League NL Most Valuable Player MVP in 2005 2008 and 2009 and is an 11 time All Star 2001 2003 2010 2015 2022 He is a six time Silver Slugger who has twice led the NL in home runs and he has also led the NL once each in batting average doubles and runs batted in RBIs In 2018 Pujols collected his 3 000th career hit becoming the 32nd MLB player to reach that milestone 4 During the 2022 season Pujols moved into second place all time for career RBIs and total bases and became the fourth player with 700 career home runs 5 At the end of the season he was also the major league career leader in double plays grounded into 426 3rd in sacrifice flies 123 5th in games played 3 080 and doubles 686 and 6th in at bats 11 421 6 He won two Gold Glove awards at first base Contents 1 Early life 2 College career 3 Professional career 3 1 Draft and minor leagues 3 2 St Louis Cardinals 2001 2011 3 2 1 Early career 2001 2003 3 2 2 New contract 2004 2005 3 2 3 Continued success and first World Series 2006 2008 3 2 4 Later Cardinals career and second World Series 2009 2011 3 3 Los Angeles Angels 2012 2021 3 3 1 Early Angels tenure 2012 2016 3 3 2 Later Angels tenure 2017 2021 3 3 3 Assessment of Angels tenure 3 4 Los Angeles Dodgers 2021 3 5 Return to St Louis 2022 4 Playing style 5 Accomplishments and accolades 5 1 Awards and honors 6 Other endeavors 6 1 Business ventures 6 2 Charitable work 7 Personal life 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External linksEarly life EditPujols was raised in Santo Domingo Dominican Republic mostly by his grandmother America Pujols and 10 of his uncles and aunts He is an only child His father Bienvenido Pujols was a softball pitcher who struggled with alcoholism Pujols often had to take his father home when his father got drunk following games Growing up Pujols practiced baseball using limes for balls and a milk carton for a glove 7 Pujols his father and his grandmother immigrated in 1996 to Washington Heights in New York City where Pujols witnessed a shooting at a bodega 8 Partly because of the shooting they moved two months later to Independence Missouri to join some relatives 7 9 10 Pujols played baseball at Fort Osage High School in Independence and was named an All State athlete twice 11 As a senior he was walked 55 times intentionally but he still hit eight home runs in 33 at bats One of his home runs travelled 450 feet 140 m 7 College career EditAfter graduating from high school a semester early in December 1998 he was given a baseball scholarship to Maple Woods Community College 11 Pujols hit a grand slam and turned an unassisted triple play in the first game of his only college season 12 Playing shortstop he batted 461 with 22 home runs as a freshman before deciding to enter the Major League Baseball MLB draft 7 Professional career EditDraft and minor leagues Edit Few teams were interested in Pujols because of uncertainty about his age which position he would play and his build 7 12 Tampa Bay Rays scout Fernando Arango recommended that his team sign Pujols and quit his job when Tampa Bay failed to do so 13 Pujols was not drafted until the 13th round of the 1999 Major League Baseball MLB draft when the St Louis Cardinals selected him with the 402nd overall pick 14 Pujols initially turned down a 10 000 bonus and spent the summer playing for the Hays Larks of the Jayhawk Collegiate League a summer league in the National Baseball Congress 15 When the Cardinals increased their bonus offer to 60 000 he signed 12 Pujols began his minor league career in 2000 playing third base with the Peoria Chiefs of the single A Midwest League He batted 324 with 128 hits 32 doubles six triples 17 home runs and 84 RBI in 109 games 16 He was voted the league s Most Valuable Player and named to the All Star team 17 Pujols also played 21 games with the Potomac Cannons in the high A Carolina League that year batting 284 with 23 hits eight doubles one triple two home runs and 10 RBI He finished the 2000 season with the Memphis Redbirds in the AAA Pacific Coast League PCL and after appearing in three regular season games with them he batted 367 in the playoffs and was named the postseason Most Valuable Player MVP as the Redbirds won their first PCL title 7 18 19 St Louis Cardinals 2001 2011 Edit Early career 2001 2003 Edit During spring training in 2001 incumbent first baseman Mark McGwire told Cardinals manager Tony La Russa that if he did not promote Pujols to the major league roster it might be one of the worst moves you make in your career 20 La Russa later recounted the myth that Pujols only made the Opening Day roster in 2001 because Bobby Bonilla was injured According to La Russa he and the rest of Cardinals management were impressed enough by Pujols that they decided to promote him to the big league club even before Bonilla s injury 21 Cardinals executive John Vuch backed this up calling the link between Pujols and Bonilla an old wives tale and stating that the competition for the last roster spot was actually between Bonilla and John Mabry 22 Although the team did not require Pujols to fill any particular position the Cardinals activated him to the Opening Day roster and he started all season at third base right field left field or first base 23 On Opening Day against the Colorado Rockies on April 2 Pujols became the first major league player born in the 1980s In that game he recorded his first career hit a single against pitcher Mike Hampton in an 8 0 loss 24 Four days later he had three hits and three RBI including his first home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks Armando Reynoso in a 12 9 win 25 On April 9 in his first career home game Pujols hit a two run home run in his first at bat against Denny Neagle of Colorado 26 Through 2015 he was one of three players to hit 20 or more home runs in their rookie year before July along with Wally Berger 1930 and Joc Pederson 2015 27 At midseason Pujols became the first Cardinals rookie since Luis Arroyo in 1955 to make the All Star Game 11 He finished the season batting 329 sixth in the league with 194 hits fifth in the league 47 doubles fifth in the league 37 home runs and 112 runs His 37 home runs led the Cardinals topping Jim Edmonds 30 and McGwire s 29 28 He was named the National League NL Silver Slugger Award winner for the third base position and he finished fourth in NL Most Valuable Player MVP voting behind Barry Bonds Sammy Sosa and Luis Gonzalez 11 29 He was unanimously named the NL Rookie of the Year after setting an NL rookie record with 130 RBI s fifth in the league and becoming the fourth MLB rookie to hit 300 with 30 home runs 100 runs and 100 RBI s 30 The Cardinals finished the 2001 season with a 93 69 record and advanced to the playoffs as the National League wild card team 31 The team advanced to the NL Division Series NLDS 32 In Game 2 on October 10 Pujols hit a game winning two run home run against Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson in a 4 1 victory 33 The Cardinals however were eliminated in five games and Pujols had just two hits in 18 at bats 11 34 After playing several positions in 2001 Pujols spent most of 2002 in left field 35 He began the season batting cleanup but was moved in May to the third spot in the lineup where he remained for the rest of his Cardinals career 36 37 Pujols hit his 30th home run and 100th RBI of the season in a 5 4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in August making him the sixth Cardinal to have back to back 30 home run seasons and the second Cardinal the other was Ray Jablonski to start his career with back to back 100 RBI seasons 11 38 The following month Pujols hit a game winning two run single against Pete Munro in a 9 3 victory over the Houston Astros that gave the Cardinals the NL Central title 39 Pujols finished the year batting 314 seventh in the NL with 185 hits tied for fourth in the NL 40 doubles eighth in the NL 34 home runs 10th in the NL 118 runs scored second in the NL to Sosa s 122 and 127 RBI s second in the NL 40 He became the first player in major league history to hit over 300 with at least 30 home runs 100 runs scored and 100 RBI s in his first two seasons Pujols finished second in MVP voting to Bonds becoming the first Cardinal since Stan Musial to finish in the top four in MVP voting for consecutive seasons 11 At the end of the 2002 season Chris Haft of MLB com called him an outstanding hitter 41 Pujols contributions helped the Cardinals finish third in home runs and second in batting average and RBI the Cardinals pitching staff also finished fourth in ERA 42 The Cardinals again reached the playoffs and Pujols had three hits and three RBI in a three game sweep of the Diamondbacks in the 2002 NLDS The team advanced to the 2002 NL Championship Series NLCS but lost in five games to the San Francisco Giants Pujols had five hits one home run and two RBI in the series 43 Five Cardinals were named to the All Star Game in 2003 while Pujols led the NL in votes 44 It was the first of eight straight seasons that Pujols would reach the All Star Game 45 From July 12 to August 16 Pujols had a 30 game hitting streak tied for the second longest in Cardinals history with Musial and behind only Rogers Hornsby s 33 game streak 46 47 On July 20 Pujols hit his 100th career home run a game winner in a 10 7 victory over the Dodgers He became the fourth major leaguer to hit his 100th home run in his third season along with Ralph Kiner Eddie Mathews and Joe DiMaggio 48 Pujols hit his 114th home run on September 20 in a game against the Astros which tied him with Kiner for the most home runs by a player in his first three seasons 49 In 157 games Pujols hit 43 home runs fourth in the league behind Jim Thome Richie Sexson and Bonds and had 124 RBI s tied with Sexson for fourth and behind Preston Wilson Gary Sheffield and Thome 50 He became the youngest player since Tommy Davis in 1962 to win the NL batting title after batting 359 and he led the league in runs 137 hits 212 and doubles 51 11 50 51 Pujols joined Rogers Hornsby as the only players in the Cardinals history to record more than 40 homers and 200 hits in the same season 11 Though his stellar play had Cardinals fans chanting M V P during home games as early as June Pujols again finished second to Bonds in MVP voting 52 He won his second Silver Slugger Award 53 and first Sporting News Player of the Year Award 47 Pujols contributions helped the Cardinals rank second in batting average and third in home runs in the NL however the pitching staff posted a 4 60 ERA which was below the league average and the Cardinals missed the playoffs 54 New contract 2004 2005 Edit After receiving many awards in his first three seasons Pujols was rewarded monetarily for his accomplishments on February 20 2004 when he signed a seven year 100 million contract extension with a 16 million club option for 2011 with no trade provisions 55 He was moved to first base in 2004 after the Cardinals traded Tino Martinez in the offseason 56 57 On June 16 he hit a walk off home run against Reds pitcher Mike Matthews in the 10th inning of a 4 3 victory 58 Pujols highlights later in the season included a July game in which he hit five RBI and three home runs in a thrilling win over the rival Chicago Cubs and another in which he broke up a no hitter by Giants pitcher Dustin Hermanson 59 60 During a September game against the Rockies he earned his 500th RBI joining Joe DiMaggio and Ted Williams as the only players to have 500 RBI in their first four seasons He said he was confident there was going to be a lot more 61 Although Pujols was diagnosed with plantar fasciitis during the second half of the season he finished the season with a 331 average fifth in the league 196 hits fifth 51 doubles second to Lyle Overbay s 53 46 home runs tied with Adam Dunn for second behind Adrian Beltre s 48 and 123 RBIs third behind Vinny Castilla s 131 and Scott Rolen s 124 in 154 games 11 He also led the league in runs scored with 133 62 On defense he tied for the league lead in errors by a first baseman with 14 63 He finished third in MVP voting behind Bonds and Beltre joining Musial as the only Cardinals to finish in the top five in voting for at least four years in a row 64 He won the Silver Slugger Award at first base the third position he won the award at 65 Pujols along with teammates Edmonds and Rolen earned the nickname MV3 for their phenomenal seasons Pujols led the three in home runs and batting average 66 The Cardinals won the NL Central aided by the MVP and pitcher Chris Carpenter who won 15 games and had a 3 46 ERA his first season with the team 67 68 In Game 4 of the NLDS against the Dodgers Pujols hit a three run home run against Wilson Alvarez and had four RBI as the Cardinals won 6 2 and took the series three games to one 69 In Game 6 of the NLCS Pujols had three hits scored three runs including the winning run and hit a two run home run off Munro in a 12 inning 6 4 victory 70 The Cardinals won the series in seven games advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1987 Pujols was named the NLCS MVP after batting 500 with four home runs and nine RBI 71 He was one of three Cardinals to bat over 250 in the series against the Boston Red Sox after batting 333 as the Cardinals were swept by Boston in four games 72 By 2005 many baseball fans thought that Pujols was the best Cardinal since Musial 73 Pujols picked up his 100th RBI of the season on August 31 joining Williams DiMaggio and Al Simmons as the only players with 100 RBI in their first five seasons 74 Pujols hit his 200th career home run in a game against the Reds on September 30 making him the third youngest major league player to reach that milestone behind Mel Ott and Eddie Mathews and the second fastest to reach it behind Kiner 75 In 161 games Pujols batted 330 second to Derrek Lee s 335 average with 195 hits fourth behind Lee Miguel Cabrera and Jimmy Rollins 38 doubles 41 home runs third behind Andruw Jones 51 and Lee s 46 117 RBI s tied with Burrell for second behind Jones 128 and 129 runs scored first in the league 76 For the first time in his career he won the NL MVP award as Bonds was limited to 14 games due to an injury 77 Pujols returned to the playoffs as the Cardinals won the NL Central for the second year in a row 78 He had five hits in nine at bats with four runs scored and two RBI in the NLDS as the Cardinals swept the Padres 11 In Game 5 of the NLCS against the Astros with the Cardinals trailing by two runs and only one out from elimination in the ninth inning Pujols hit a game winning three run home run against Brad Lidge that landed on the train tracks in the back of Minute Maid Park The Cardinals won 5 4 79 MLB com writer Matthew Leach later called it one of the most famous playoff home runs in recent years 80 Nevertheless the Cardinals were eliminated in Game 6 by the Astros Pujols batted 304 with two home runs and six RBI in the series 43 Continued success and first World Series 2006 2008 Edit Pujols in 2006Over two games in April 2006 Pujols hit home runs in four consecutive plate appearances making him the 20th player to accomplish the feat Pujols maintained after the game that he was more concerned with winning than the numbers I don t look at numbers he said I don t know I didn t know anything about the record until you guys brought it up Because that s not me I don t get locked in on numbers I don t get locked in on anything like that I get locked in on seeing the ball and helping my team out to win and hopefully doing some damage out there 81 Pujols had three hits and four RBI including his 1 000th career hit a home run against Jerome Williams as the Cardinals defeated the Cubs 9 3 on April 21 2006 82 On June 4 he was placed on the disabled list DL for the first time in his career with a strained right oblique that kept him out for three weeks 83 84 On August 22 Pujols hit a three run home run and a grand slam against John Maine in an 8 7 loss to the Mets 85 On September 28 with the Cardinals trailing the Padres 2 1 in the eighth inning he hit a three run home run against Cla Meredith helping the Cardinals win 4 2 and end a seven game losing streak The win preserved the Cardinals 1 5 game division lead La Russa later called it the most huge of the huge ones he s hit 86 Pujols at the 2006 All Star GamePujols finished the season with a 331 average third to Freddy Sanchez s 344 and Cabrera s 339 177 hits 33 doubles 49 home runs second to Ryan Howard s 58 137 RBI second to Howard 149 and 119 runs scored tied with Matt Holliday Hanley Ramirez and Alfonso Soriano for fifth 11 87 Of his 49 home runs 20 produced a game winning RBI breaking Willie Mays single season record set in 1962 88 89 He finished second to Howard in MVP voting and won the NL Gold Glove Award for first base 90 He won his first of four consecutive Fielding Bible Awards for the first base position 91 Led by Pujols and Carpenter the Cardinals won the NL Central and reached the playoffs for the third year in a row 80 In Game 1 of the NLDS against the Padres he hit a game winning two run home run against Jake Peavy as the Cardinals won 5 1 92 He had a game winning RBI against David Wells and had three hits in Game 2 as the Cardinals won 2 0 93 He batted 333 with a home run and an RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Padres in four games 43 In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Mets Pujols scored three runs as the Cardinals won 9 6 94 He batted 318 with one home run and one RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Mets in seven games 43 In Game 1 of the World Series against the Detroit Tigers he hit a two run home run against Justin Verlander as the Cardinals won 7 2 95 In Game 5 he made a sprawling flip from his back play to rob Placido Polanco of a hit as the Cardinals clinched the series giving Pujols his first career World Series ring 96 Pujols preparing to hitNear the beginning of the 2007 season in an April 22 game against the Cubs Pujols hit a game winning three run home run against Ryan Dempster in the 10th inning of a 12 9 victory tying Ken Boyer for second all time on the Cardinals home run list with his 255th 97 Pujols finished the season with 185 hits 38 doubles and 103 RBI a career low He was among the league leaders in batting average 327 sixth and home runs 32 tied for tenth 98 He scored 99 runs ending his streak of seasons with at least 30 home runs a 300 average 100 runs scored and 100 RBI at six 11 He grounded into a major league leading 27 double plays 99 He finished ninth in MVP voting the first year he had finished outside the top five 100 Pujols began 2008 by reaching base in 42 straight games the longest streak to open a season since 1999 11 On June 11 he was placed on the 15 day disabled list with a strained left calf muscle 101 102 Pujols hit his 300th home run against Bob Howry on July 4 in a 2 1 loss to the Cubs He said after the game that to him it was just another homer that goes out of the park I m happy to do it in front of our fans they were waiting for it 103 On September 11 in a 3 2 loss to the Cubs Pujols hit his 100th RBI of the season against Rich Harden making him the third player in major league history to start his career with eight seasons of at least 100 RBI along with Al Simmons and Ted Williams He regretted that the milestone came in a loss saying I wish it would have come with a great win It would have been more special 104 Pujols is among the top 5 players all time in home runs RBIs doubles and total bases In 148 games in 2008 Pujols batted 357 second to Chipper Jones 364 average with 187 hits third behind Reyes s 204 and David Wright s 189 44 doubles tied with Stephen Drew and Aramis Ramirez for fourth in the league behind Berkman and Nate McLouth s 46 and Corey Hart s 45 37 home runs tied with Ryan Braun and Ryan Ludwick for fourth in the league behind Howard s 48 Dunn s 40 and Delgado s 38 116 RBI fourth behind Howard s 146 Wrights 124 and Adrian Gonzalez s 119 and 100 runs scored 105 He grounded into a National League leading 27 double plays 106 Pujols won his second NL MVP Award and he won the Silver Slugger Award for the fourth time in his career 107 108 He was named The Sporting News Player of the Year for the second time in his career 109 For his work off the field he was named the 2008 winner of the Roberto Clemente Award 110 He considered having Tommy John surgery after the season but underwent nerve transposition surgery on his right elbow instead to ease discomfort 111 112 Later Cardinals career and second World Series 2009 2011 Edit Pujols participating in the 2009 Home Run DerbyOn April 25 2009 Pujols picked up his 1 000th career RBI with a 441 foot grand slam against David Patton in an 8 2 victory over the Cubs I hit that ball as good as I can hit a ball he said after the game 113 On July 3 he hit his 10th career grand slam against Weathers in a 7 4 victory over the Reds breaking Musial s record for most grand slams by a Cardinal The grand slam was also his 350th career home run making him the third fastest player to reach the milestone behind Alex Rodriguez and Ken Griffey Jr 114 He received the highest number of votes in NL history for the All Star Game that year 115 Pujols had four hits scored three runs and knocked in five RBI on August 4 including a grand slam against Sean Green that tied the NL record for most grand slams in a season five in a 10 inning 12 7 victory over the Mets 116 In 160 games Pujols batted 327 third behind Ramirez s 342 and Pablo Sandoval s 330 with 186 hits sixth 45 doubles second to Miguel Tejada s 46 47 home runs first 135 RBI third behind Fielder and Howard s 141 and 124 runs scored first 117 He was unanimously named the NL MVP for the third time tying Musial as the Cardinals leader in that category 118 For the fifth time in his career he won the Silver Slugger Award 119 He won the Sporting News MLB Player of the Year award for the second consecutive year joining Williams and Joe Morgan as the only players to win it in back to back years 120 For the fourth year in a row he won the Fielding Bible Award for first base Aided by the mid season acquisition of Matt Holliday who replaced Ryan Ludwick as the cleanup hitter and the emergence of Adam Wainwright who led the NL in wins the Cardinals returned to the playoffs after a two year hiatus 121 122 123 In the NLDS against the Dodgers Pujols batted 300 with one RBI as the Cardinals were swept in three games 43 Following the postseason Pujols had surgery to remove five bone spurs from his right elbow The Cardinals called the surgery a success and Dr James Andrews decided that Pujols did not need Tommy John surgery 124 125 For April 2010 Pujols earned his first Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Month Award He batted 348 1 270 OPS three home runs and 14 RBI with runners on base Further in situations with his team leading by one run tied or having the potential tying run on base at bat or on deck after the seventh inning late and close he batted 583 7 for 12 with a home run two doubles three RBI and five runs scored 126 On June 29 in an 8 0 victory over the Diamondbacks Pujols hit five RBI and hit two home runs against Dontrelle Willis for his 37th career multi homer game which tied Musial s franchise record for multi homer games It s pretty special he said of tying Musial I m blessed to have the opportunity to be compared sometimes with him 127 On August 26 he hit his 400th career home run against Jordan Zimmermann in a 13 inning 11 10 loss to the Nationals He became the third youngest player to reach the milestone behind Griffey Jr and Rodriguez and he became the fourth quickest player by at bats to reach the milestone behind McGwire Babe Ruth Harmon Killebrew and Thome 128 On September 11 in a 12 inning 6 3 loss to Atlanta Pujols had three RBI and reached 100 RBI for the 10th consecutive year with a two run double against Tommy Hanson Only Al Simmons has a longer streak of 100 RBI seasons at the beginning of a career with 11 Pujols joined Jimmie Foxx Lou Gehrig and Rodriguez in having 10 consecutive seasons of 100 or more RBI at any time in their career Foxx and Rodriguez are the only two players besides Pujols to have 10 consecutive years of 30 home runs and 100 RBI 129 The next day in a 7 3 victory over the Braves he passed Musial to be the all time Cardinals leader in multi home run games when he hit two home runs against Tim Hudson for the 38th time in a game 130 In 159 games Pujols batted 312 sixth with 183 hits fifth and 39 doubles tied for eighth with Marlon Byrd he led the league in runs scored 115 home runs 42 and RBI 118 131 He won his second Gold Glove Award for first base 132 and he won the NL First Base Silver Slugger Award for the sixth time 133 He finished second in the NL MVP voting to Joey Votto who said he was shocked that Pujols only got one first place vote 134 Pujols and the Cardinals set a deadline for the start of 2011 spring training for contract extension negotiations 135 but failed to reach an agreement 136 After Pujols struggled in his first 30 games of the season in batting 231 137 he batted 316 with 30 home runs in his final 117 games 138 Against the Cubs he hit consecutive extra inning walk off home runs on June 4 and 5 for the first time since Albert Belle in 1995 Carpenter noted after the game that Pujols slump earlier in the year was over He continues to do great things there s no doubt about it he said The things that he s done the last few days have been just like the old Albert 139 On June 19 against the Royals Wilson Betemit collided with Pujols inducing a small fracture his left wrist and keeping him inactive until July 5 140 141 On July 30 in a 9 2 victory over the Cubs he got his 2 000th career hit against Carlos Marmol becoming the fifth Cardinal to reach 2 000 hits and 12th fastest major leaguer by games to reach the milestone 142 In the Cardinals final game of the season against the Astros on September 28 he had the game winning RBI against Brett Myers in the 8 0 victory helping the Cardinals overcome a 10 5 game deficit to Atlanta to win the Wild Card 143 Pujols finished the season with 173 hits tied for ninth with Aramis Ramirez 29 doubles a career low and 105 runs scored tied for third with Justin Upton behind Ryan Braun s 109 and Matt Kemp s 115 11 144 He saw his streak of seasons batting at least 300 with 30 home runs and 100 RBI snapped when he hit 37 home runs third behind Fielder s 38 and Kemp s 39 but batted 299 with 99 RBI seventh however only three other players in the major leagues matched him in those categories Jose Bautista Fielder and Kemp causing Tyler Kepner of The New York Times to write Even when Pujols struggles he excels 144 145 He grounded into a major league leading 29 double plays 99 He was fifth in MVP voting 146 Pujols during the 2011 World Series parade His historic Game 3 performance included three home runs In Game 2 of the NLDS against the Phillies on October 2 Pujols had a game winning RBI single against Cliff Lee in the 5 4 victory 147 He batted 350 with one RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Phillies in five games 43 In Game 2 of the NLCS against the Brewers he had four hits three runs scored one home run and five RBI in a 12 3 victory 148 He batted 478 with two home runs and nine RBI in the series as the Cardinals defeated the Brewers in six games 43 On October 22 in Game 3 of the World Series Pujols had five hits three home runs four runs scored and six RBI in a 16 7 victory over the Rangers He joined Babe Ruth and Reggie Jackson as the only players in baseball history to hit three home runs in a World Series game set a series record with 14 total bases became the first player in series history to have hits in four consecutive innings and tied records for most hits and most RBI in a World Series game 149 150 151 152 He had one hit and no RBI the other six games of the series but became a World Series champion for the second time as the Cardinals defeated the Rangers in seven games 43 After the season he became a free agent for the first time in his career 153 Los Angeles Angels 2012 2021 Edit Three teams were reported to be interested in Pujols during the 2011 offseason the Cardinals the Miami Marlins and the Los Angeles Angels The Cardinals offered Pujols a 10 year 210 million deal with 30 million deferred but Pujols rejected it His wife Deidre explained on a radio talk show that they were insulted and confused that the Cardinals had initially offered Pujols a five year deal 154 The Marlins reportedly offered Pujols a 10 year contract too but on December 8 he signed a 10 year deal with the Angels worth around 254 million 155 156 157 Early Angels tenure 2012 2016 Edit Pujols in 2012Pujols did not perform very well to begin the 2012 season batting 217 with no home runs and four RBI in the month of April 158 Soon after the Angels called up top prospect Mike Trout and fired hitting coach Mickey Hatcher Pujols numbers began to rise as he batted 323 with 13 home runs from May 15 through the All Star Break 159 160 161 162 On July 31 he hit two home runs against Derek Holland in a 6 2 victory over the Rangers After the game Holland observed that Pujols had definitely turned it around no doubt about it He had a slow start but he s picked it up He s a great hitter 163 On August 14 Pujols had four RBIs including a game winning three run home run against Ubaldo Jimenez in a 9 6 victory over the Cleveland Indians 164 In 2012 Pujols batted 285 at the time a career low in 153 games with 173 hits 50 doubles second to Alex Gordon s 51 30 home runs 105 RBIs 7th in AL and 85 runs scored 165 In 2013 Pujols had by far the worst season of his career to date failing to play at least 100 games in a season for the first time Pujols also posted career worsts in hits runs scored doubles home runs RBI walks batting average on base percentage slugging percentage and OPS Overall in 99 games Pujols batted 258 with 101 hits 19 doubles 17 home runs 64 RBI and 49 runs scored On August 19 2013 Pujols was ruled out for the remainder of the 2013 season after suffering a foot injury 166 In August 2013 on his St Louis WGNU radio show former Cardinals player Jack Clark accused Pujols of having used performance enhancing drugs Clark served as the Cardinals hitting coach during the early part of Pujols tenure in St Louis On the morning of August 9 Pujols issued a statement adamantly denying that he had ever taken PEDs He denounced Clark s allegations as irresponsible and reckless and threatened to sue Clark and WGNU over the allegations 167 Partly due to legal threats from Pujols InsideSTL Enterprises which owns WGNU s weekday airtime under a time brokerage agreement cut ties with Clark 168 169 170 171 On October 4 2013 Pujols filed a defamation lawsuit against Clark 172 In response Clark challenged Pujols proposing that they both take polygraph tests to resolve who is telling the truth 173 However on February 10 2014 Clark apologized and retracted his accusations against Pujols saying he had no knowledge whatsoever that Pujols ever used PEDs During a heated discussion on air I misspoke Clark said In return Pujols dropped the suit 174 On April 22 2014 Pujols hit his 499th and 500th home runs off the Washington Nationals Taylor Jordan at Nationals Park where he had hit his 400th career home run in the 2010 season 175 Pujols became the 26th player ever to reach the 500 home run mark the third youngest to reach it and the only player to hit Nos 499 and 500 in the same game On August 10 he played in MLB s longest game of the year and the longest in the history of Angel Stadium ending the 19 inning 6 hours and 31 minute contest against the Red Sox with a solo home run for a 5 4 final score It was his first walk off home run as an Angel and first since June 2011 176 On September 6 against the Minnesota Twins Pujols collected his 2 500th career hit a two run go ahead double off of Jared Burton in the 9th inning He also passed the 1 500 run mark in the same game In the process he became the fifth player in major league history with 2 500 hits and 500 home runs while maintaining a 310 lifetime batting average after Babe Ruth Jimmie Foxx Ted Williams and Manny Ramirez 177 For the 2014 season Pujols batted 272 and grounded into an American League leading 28 double plays 99 He was tied for the 3rd highest salary in the AL at 23 million 178 After the 2014 season Pujols traveled to Japan to join a team of MLB All Stars playing against the All Stars of Nippon Professional Baseball in the Japan All Star Series 179 Before the 2015 season Pujols enjoyed his first offseason in his time with the Angels in which he was both free of injury or recuperation from injury However his offensive production lagged behind his career levels the first month of the season By the end of April Pujols was batting 208 with three home runs and nine RBI in 86 plate appearances The next month Pujols offensive production had started to come around Between May 28 and June 22 he batted 356 with 15 homers 30 RBI and a 1 326 OPS At this time he was leading the American League in home runs with 23 180 After batting 303 395 737 with 13 home runs in June 2015 Pujols was named AL Player of the Month for the first time and seventh overall monthly award His home run total led the major leagues and 73 total bases tied Manny Machado for first in the AL Remarkably his batting average on balls in play was 218 significantly lower than the league average of about 300 181 Selected to the All Star Game Pujols was announced as a reserve for the American League Due to an injury just days earlier with Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera Pujols instead started at first base It was his 10th overall selection to the midsummer classic and first as a member of the Angels 182 On September 22 Pujols hit his 556th career home run to pass Ramirez for sole possession of 14th place on the all time career home run leaderboard 183 In the last game of the season on October 4 Pujols hit his 40th home run the seventh time he had done so in a season Among active MLB players he trailed only Alex Rodriguez with eight With Trout also hitting 40 home runs the 2015 Angels became just the 31st team in MLB history with multiple players to hit 40 home runs in a season 184 For the 2015 season he batted 244 307 480 and he had the lowest batting average on balls in play 217 of all major league players 185 He was tied for the 3rd highest salary in the AL at 24 million 186 On April 30 2016 Pujols became the 85th player to make 10 000 career plate appearances 187 On May 2 Pujols became the 20th player all time to amass 5 000 career total bases On August 17 Pujols joined Barry Bonds as the only other player to be intentionally walked over 300 times Playing the Toronto Blue Jays on August 25 he reached 100 RBI for the 13th time in his career the fifth player to do so 188 While playing Cincinnati on August 29 Pujols hit his 26th home run and 103rd RBI of the season The home run tied him with Frank Robinson for ninth place on the all time home run list at 586 and allowed him to become the seventh player all time with 1 200 career extra base hits and the 21st to reach 1 800 RBI 189 On September 16 Pujols became the 16th player all time to reach 600 career doubles 190 Pujols batted 268 for the 2016 season He tied for 2nd in the AL in double plays grounded into with 24 191 He had the 6th highest salary in the league at 25 million 192 Later Angels tenure 2017 2021 Edit Pujols in 2017On June 3 2017 Pujols became the ninth player in Major League history to hit at least 600 home runs when he hit a grand slam off of Ervin Santana of the Minnesota Twins 193 He was the fourth youngest player to achieve the feat behind Alex Rodriguez Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron and the first to hit a grand slam for his 600th home run 193 For the 2017 season Pujols played in 149 games and had 593 at bats but set career lows in batting average 241 on base percentage 286 slugging percentage 386 doubles 17 and walks 37 while leading the majors by grounding into 26 double plays 194 He had the slowest baserunning sprint speed of all major league players at 21 8 feet second 195 He had the 6th highest salary in the AL at 26 million 196 On May 4 2018 Pujols recorded his 3 000th major league hit against Mike Leake of the Seattle Mariners 197 4 On July 12 Pujols hit his 630th career home run moving into a tie with Ken Griffey Jr for sixth place all time for that category The next day Pujols was placed on the 10 day disabled list due to left knee inflammation 198 He hit a single on August 10 for his 1 000th hit as an Angel becoming the ninth player to record 1 000 hits in both the American League and National League 199 He had surgery on his left knee in August ending his season and on his right elbow to remove a bone spur in September 200 In 2018 he batted 245 289 411 with 19 home runs and 64 RBIs matching the lowest season total of his career 99 He had the slowest baserunning sprint speed of all major league players for the second consecutive year at 22 2 feet second 201 202 He was the sixth oldest player in the American League 203 He had the 5th highest salary in the AL at 27 million 204 On May 9 2019 Pujols became the fourth player in major league history to record 2 000 RBIs hitting a solo home run against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park 205 A Tigers fan caught the 2 000 RBI ball but refused to turn it over to MLB officials saying that he wanted to sleep on it before making a decision In response MLB refused to authenticate the ball The fan Ely Hydes eventually decided that he wanted to return the ball to Pujols who in turn refused stating that the fan should either keep the ball or donate it to the Baseball Hall of Fame 206 207 Pujols hit his 200th home run as an Angel on June 13 becoming only the sixth player to hit 200 home runs with two different teams 208 In 2019 he batted 244 305 430 Pujols had the lowest line drive percentage of all major league hitters 15 3 and the 16 7 of balls he hit to the opposite field were the lowest in baseball 209 210 He had the second slowest sprint speed of all major league players at 22 5 feet second 211 He was the third oldest player in the American League behind Ichiro Suzuki who retired in March and Fernando Rodney 212 He was tied for the 4th highest salary in the AL at 28 million 213 At the beginning of the 2020 season Pujols at the age of 40 was the oldest player in the major leagues 214 On August 24 Pujols passed Rodriguez to reach second on the all time RBIs list with a single against the Astros With his 2 087th RBI he trailed only Hank Aaron s 2 297 Babe Ruth has 2 214 RBIs as recognized by Baseball Reference but only 1 989 on the official MLB list MLB does not count pre 1920 RBIs because it was not yet an official statistic 215 On September 18 Pujols hit his 661st career home run to pass Willie Mays for fifth place all time 216 In 2020 Pujols batted 224 270 395 with 6 home runs and 25 RBIs in 152 at bats 217 He had the slowest sprint speed of all major league players at 22 0 feet second 218 He was tied for the 7th highest salary in the league at 29 million 219 Pujols began the 2021 season with the Angels On May 6 2021 the Angels designated Pujols for assignment Through 24 games Pujols was hitting 198 250 372 with five home runs 220 On May 13 Pujols cleared waivers and became a free agent 221 Assessment of Angels tenure Edit In nine plus seasons with the Angels Pujols hit 256 with 222 homers and 783 runs batted in 222 During his time with the Angels the team won the AL West once in 2014 and won no postseason games In 2016 sportswriter Joe Posnanski of NBC Sports described Pujols as a cautionary tale against big contracts and an overpaid designated hitter in the middle of the lineup for a going nowhere Los Angeles Angels team 223 In an August 7 2018 article entitled How the shift has ruined Albert Pujols ESPN sportswriter Alden Gonzalez wrote The recent proliferation of defensive shifts has made it exceedingly difficult for power hitters to turn batted balls into hits prompting an infatuation with launch angles and breeding a widespread acceptance of strikeouts Few have been victimized more than Pujols the aging slugger who still makes frequent contact but no longer runs well T he modern game is especially unforgiving to older hitters and it has intensified the decline of arguably the greatest first baseman in baseball history 224 Los Angeles Dodgers 2021 Edit On May 17 2021 Pujols agreed to a one year major league deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers 225 He made his Dodgers debut that night as the starting first baseman against the Arizona Diamondbacks 226 With his longtime number 5 having been assigned to Corey Seager Pujols chose the number 55 both as nods to his two former teams as well as the Bible If you know the bible Pujols explained it s the number of grace So I feel 5 5 double grace 227 On May 20 Pujols hit his first home run as a Dodger a two run homer off Merrill Kelly of the Diamondbacks 228 In October Scott Miller of The New York Times asserted that Pujols had flourished beyond expectations scorching lefties for a 306 batting average 229 Overall in 2021 he appeared in 85 games for the Dodgers and hit 254 with a 299 on base percentage 12 homers and 38 RBIs 230 For the second season in a row he had the slowest baserunning sprint speed of all major league players at 22 4 feet second 231 His line drive percentage of 15 4 was the lowest in the major leagues and his 16 7 of balls hit to the opposite field was the lowest in the majors 232 He was the oldest player in the league for the second season in a row 233 and had the fifth highest salary at 30 million 217 In his first postseason appearance since 2014 he appeared in nine games for the Dodgers with five hits in 18 at bats for a batting average of 278 230 Pujols subsequently announced that he would play in the Dominican Professional Baseball League LIDOM in the offseason for Leones del Escogido 234 Return to St Louis 2022 Edit Pujols hits a pitch during a game against the Padres on September 22 2022 On March 28 2022 Pujols signed a one year contract to return to the St Louis Cardinals and announced that 2022 would be his final season 235 He said There were a lot of teams interested It took 12 hours maybe even less to get a deal done once we received a call from the Cardinals adding We have the best fans in baseball It feels like I never left 236 He was the oldest player in the major leagues for the third season in a row 237 On May 15 Pujols made his pitching debut the oldest player to do so since 1929 In a 15 6 blowout win against the San Francisco Giants he gave up two home runs and four earned runs in the ninth inning 238 On June 4 against the Chicago Cubs he became the 10th major league player to play 3 000 games appearing as an injury replacement for Corey Dickerson 239 On June 7 against the Tampa Bay Rays Pujols singled for his 3 320th career hit passing Paul Molitor for tenth all time in hits 240 On July 10 after the Philadelphia Phillies had shut out the Cardinals in three straight games Pujols made a rare start against a right handed pitcher and his three hits including a home run helped spark a 4 3 win The home run was Pujols 1 377th extra base hit tying him for third all time with Stan Musial 241 Pujols was chosen to be on the National League team for the All Star Game by MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred as a legacy selection to honor his career achievements 242 He was also selected to participate in the Home Run Derby where he advanced to the second round and fell one home run short of eventual winner Juan Soto 243 This could have happened last week in St Louis which would have been awesome to me but to allow it to happen tonight in front of my family and friends and people who really care and love me is special Pujols on hitting his 700th home run in Los Angeles 244 On August 20 he passed Musial for second place all time in total bases trailing only Hank Aaron 245 On August 22 he was named the National League Player of the Week alongside teammate Paul Goldschmidt after hitting 615 with three home runs and seven RBIs 246 On August 29 Pujols hit a third inning home run off of Ross Detwiler of the Cincinnati Reds Detwiler was the 450th unique pitcher to surrender a home run to Pujols who thus broke a record belonging to Barry Bonds 247 On September 10 and 11 Pujols hit his 696th and 697th home runs at PNC Park against the Pittsburgh Pirates to move into fourth place on the all time list 248 On September 14 he became the second player in MLB history to officially compile 2 200 RBIs 249 On September 23 Pujols became the fourth player to hit 700 career home runs 5 His 699th and 700th home runs came during consecutive at bats during an 11 0 victory for the Cardinals at Dodger Stadium 250 He hit No 699 off Andrew Heaney his 200th home run off a left handed pitcher and his 700th off Phil Bickford his 500th home run off a right handed pitcher 251 On October 2 he hit No 702 in his last career home game mirroring the home run he hit in his St Louis debut two decades earlier 252 On October 3 he hit No 703 which gave him sole possession of second place on the all time RBI list surpassing Babe Ruth s total 253 Pujols finished his regular season career first in double plays grounded into 426 third in sacrifice flies 123 fifth in games played 3 080 and doubles 686 and sixth in at bats 11 421 6 The Cardinals won the National League Central division earning a berth in the postseason and enabling Pujols 10th and final postseason appearance 254 He went 2 for 8 in the National League Wild Card Series with the Philadelphia Phillies In Game 2 on October 8 he singled in his last two at bats The Phillies won the game eliminating the Cardinals and bringing Pujols playing career to an end 255 256 On November 1 it was announced that Pujols had signed retirement papers with the Cardinals 257 After the season was finished Pujols was awarded the Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award along with Justin Verlander 258 259 Playing style EditPujols swing was praised for its consistency It s the same swing every time former teammate Lance Berkman once said 260 He has the ability to repeat his swing over and over and over which leads to him being very consistent Cardinals video coordinator Chad Blair said Sports Illustrated writer Daniel G Habib described the swing as quick and quiet Pujols used a 32 5 ounce bat against right handed pitchers but used a 33 ounce bat against left handers to avoid trying to pull the ball when he swung 261 He credited his hitting ability partly to learning what pitchers would do in certain counts and situations I can tell right away from the first pitch if they re going to pitch to me or not with men on base I need to be aggressive and make sure I look for my pitch and be ready If it s there be ready to swing If it s not there take it There s just something there in my mind and you know right away the situation will dictate the situation you re in The New York Times May 31 2009 262 Accomplishments and accolades EditPujols is second in major league history in runs batted in and total bases behind only Hank Aaron He and Aaron are the only two players to amass 3 000 hits 700 home runs and 2 200 RBIs a Only two other players Stan Musial and Willie Mays have surpassed 6 000 total bases Pujols hit home runs off of a record 458 different pitchers over the course of his career 263 and is fourth in career home runs and fifth in doubles In 2009 Pujols set the major league single season record for assists by a first baseman with 185 11 264 Pujols is the all time leader in double plays hit into One of the reasons Pujols hit into so many double plays in his career is that he was one of the best hitters ever at making contact In an age when seasons of 150 strikeouts were the norm for sluggers he never struck out at least 100 times in a season Pujols who will go down as one of the greatest right handed hitters of all time became the first player to produce four hits and two homers in a single game at the age of 42 or older in August 2022 265 Given his career achievements Pujols is widely expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame and potentially a unanimous selection the first year in which he becomes eligible 2028 266 267 268 Pujols has earned praise from many of his fellow players and coaches In 2008 he was named the most feared hitter in baseball in a poll of all 30 MLB managers 269 La Russa has called him the best player I ve ever managed 270 Division rival Joey Votto referred to him as one of the greatest hitters of all time 271 Larry Walker called him a great hitter 69 and Brendan Ryan said He s the best there is 272 Fernando Vina said while Pujols was in his first stint with the Cardinals He s the face of the Cardinals 20 Awards and honors Edit Championships earned or shared Title Times Dates RefNational League batting champion 1 2003 51 National League champion 3 2004 2006 2011 71 43 Pacific Coast League champion 1 2000 19 World Series champion 2 2006 2011 96 43 Awards received Name of award Times Dates RefBaseball America Major League Player of the Year 1 2005ESPY Award for Best International Athlete 2 2005 2006ESPY Award for Best MLB Player 4 2005 2006 2009 2010 273 Fielding Bible Award at first base 5 2006 09 2011 91 274 GIBBY This Year in Baseball Awards for Hitter of the Year 2 2003 2008 275 Hank Aaron Award 2 2003 2009 276 277 Heart and Hustle Award 1 2009League Championship Series Most Valuable Player 1 2004 71 MLB All Star 11 2001 2003 10 2015 2022 11 44 278 279 280 281 282 115 45 283 284 MLB Player of the Month 7 May 2003 June 2003 April 2006 April 2009 June 2009 August 2010 June 2015 285 286 287 288 289 181 MLB Player of the Week 14 Sep 22 2001 with Jose Mesa Jul 7 2002 May 4 2003 Jun 5 2005 with Nick Johnson May 14 2006 with Nomar Garciaparra Jul 15 2007 Aug 24 2008 Sep 28 2008 Apr 26 2009 Jun 21 2009 Jun 5 2011 Aug 5 2012 Aug 20 2022 with Paul Goldschmidt Sept 24 2022 with Pete Alonso 11 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 National League Most Valuable Player 3 2005 2008 2009 77 107 118 National League Rookie of the Year 1 2001 30 Pacific Coast League Postseason Most Valuable Player 1 2000 7 Pepsi Clutch Performer of the Month 1 April 2010 126 Players Choice Award for Major League Player of the Year 3 2003 2008 2009 300 301 302 Players Choice Award for Marvin Miller Man of the Year 1 2006 303 Players Choice Award for National League Outstanding Player 3 2003 2008 2009 300 304 302 Rawlings Gold Glove Award at first base 2 2006 2010 90 132 Roberto Clemente Award 1 2008 110 Silver Slugger Award 6 at 3B 2001 at OF 2003 at 1B 2004 2008 10 11 53 65 108 119 133 The Sporting News Player of the Decade 1 2000 09 305 306 The Sporting News Player of the Year 3 2003 2008 2009 47 109 120 Sports Illustrated Player of the Decade 1 2000 09 307 308 National League statistical leader Category Times SeasonsBatting champion 1 2003Doubles leader 1 2003Extra base hits leader 4 2003 2004 2009 2010Hits leader 1 2003Home run leader 2 2009 2010On base percentage leader 1 2009On base plus slugging leader 3 2006 2008 2009OPS leader 4 2006 2008 2009 2010Runs batted in leader 1 2010Runs scored leader 5 2003 05 2009 2010Slugging percentage leader 3 2006 2008 2009Total bases leader 4 2003 2004 2008 2009Grounded into double plays leader 2 2007 2011Notes Through 2017 season Per Baseball Reference com Other endeavors EditBusiness ventures Edit In 2006 Pujols and the Hanon family opened Pujols 5 Westport Grill a restaurant located in Westport Plaza of Maryland Heights Missouri 309 A 10 foot 1 100 lb statue of Pujols was dedicated on November 2 2011 outside the restaurant An anonymous donor commissioned sculptor Harry Weber to create the statue which belongs to the Pujols Family Foundation 310 311 After Pujols signed with the Angels the restaurant was renamed the St Louis Sports Hall of Fame Grill 312 In 2008 Pujols teamed up with St Louis Soccer United a group looking to bring a Major League Soccer MLS franchise to the St Louis area 313 However the group s bid for a franchise was unsuccessful and a USL team Saint Louis FC was formed 314 Charitable work Edit Pujols at Glenn Beck s Restoring Honor rallyIn 2005 Albert and Deidre Pujols launched the Pujols Family Foundation a 501 c 3 non profit dedicated to their commitment to faith family and others The organization promotes awareness of Down syndrome and works to support those who have it and their families aids the poor in the Dominican Republic and supports people with disabilities and or life threatening illnesses 315 Among other activities the foundation hosts events for people with Down syndrome The foundation gave the Down Syndrome Association of Greater St Louis the resources to open an office and hire staff 316 In 2009 the Albert Pujols Wellness Center for Adults with Down Syndrome opened in Chesterfield Missouri 317 Pujols was present at the opening on November 18 318 The foundation hosts an annual All Stars Basketball Game with down syndrome players at Missouri Baptist University 319 Pujols has taken several trips to the Dominican Republic by taking supplies as well as a team of doctors and dentists to the poor who need medical care citation needed The Pujols Family Foundation also holds an annual golf tournament to raise money to send dentists to the Dominican Republic 320 In 2009 Pujols donated money to the Mike Coolbaugh Memorial Tournament allowing the event to occur after a sponsor backed out 321 On August 28 2010 Pujols and La Russa attended Glenn Beck s Restoring Honor rally in Washington D C after being assured by Beck that the rally was not political During the rally Pujols was presented with a medal for his off the field efforts 322 323 Personal life EditPujols married Deidre Pujols on January 1 2000 324 They have five children Isabella Deidre s daughter from a previous relationship Albert Jr Sophia Ezra and Esther Grace 325 After 22 years of marriage Pujols filed for divorce on April 4 2022 citing irreconcilable differences 326 Pujols is a devout evangelical Christian He became an evangelical Christian on November 13 1998 influenced in part by Deidre and his grandmother 327 328 During his first tenure with the Cardinals Pujols and his family attended West County Community Church a Southern Baptist church in Wildwood Missouri 328 During the offseason Pujols lives in St Louis 329 He owned a home in Irvine California but put it up for sale in 2016 330 Pujols is a supporter of people with Down syndrome a condition Isabella was born with 316 In 2007 Pujols became a U S citizen 331 scoring a perfect 100 on his citizenship test 332 Pujols is close friends with third baseman Placido Polanco a former teammate with the Cardinals Polanco has called Pujols his closest friend in baseball and Pujols is the godfather to Polanco s son Ishmael 333 Pujols is also friends with Robinson Cano who selected Mark Trumbo for the 2012 Home Run Derby after being asked to by Pujols 334 See also EditPortals Baseball Dominican Republic Biography Hispanic and Latino Americans List of Dominican Americans List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders List of Major League Baseball annual home run leaders List of Major League Baseball annual runs batted in leaders List of Major League Baseball annual runs scored leaders List of Major League Baseball batting champions List of Major League Baseball career at bat leaders List of Major League Baseball career bases on balls leaders List of Major League Baseball career intentional bases on balls leaders List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders List of Major League Baseball career extra base hits leaders List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders List of Major League Baseball career hit by pitch leaders List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders List of Major League Baseball career OPS leaders List of Major League Baseball career plate appearance leaders List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders List of Major League Baseball career slugging percentage leaders List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders List of Major League Baseball doubles records List of Major League Baseball hit records List of Major League Baseball home run records List of Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic List of Major League Baseball runs batted in records List of Major League Baseball runs records List of St Louis Cardinals team records Los Angeles Angels all time roster St Louis Cardinals all time roster St Louis Cardinals award winners and league leadersNotes Edit Babe Ruth has over 2 200 RBIs but unofficially as he played six seasons before RBIs became a recognized statistic References Edit Leach Matthew May 27 2014 Miggy s brilliance illuminates Pujols remarkable peak MLB com Archived from the original on December 2 2014 Retrieved November 22 2014 Florio Mike August 27 2010 Is Albert Pujols the greatest right handed hitter of all time Hardball Talk Archived from the original on June 9 2015 Retrieved November 22 2014 Paine Neil April 27 2014 Baseball Is Finally Remembering How Good Albert Pujols Can Be fivethirtyeight com 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July 15 2012 Retrieved August 3 2012 Kepner Tyler October 19 2011 Great From Day 1 Pujols Draws Superlatives on and Off the Field The New York Times Archived from the original on October 19 2011 Retrieved August 3 2012 Mitchell Houston November 22 2011 Ryan Braun wins NL MVP award Matt Kemp second Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on November 25 2011 Retrieved November 22 2011 Leach Matthew October 3 2011 Comeback Cards strike in Philly to tie NLDS MLB com Archived from the original on December 23 2011 Retrieved August 4 2012 Frisaro Joe October 11 2011 Performer of the game Pujols MLB com Archived from the original on November 9 2011 Retrieved August 5 2012 Sheinin Dave 23 October 2011 2011 World Series Game 3 Albert Pujols hits three home runs to push Cardinals past Rangers The Washington Post Retrieved 21 October 2020 Leach Matthew October 23 2011 Mr Octo bert Pujols 3 HRs answer critics MLB com Archived from the original on October 24 2011 Retrieved August 5 2011 Strauss 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Reference com MLB stars commit to All Star Series in Japan Major League Baseball Archived from the original on August 22 2014 Retrieved August 22 2014 Reiter Ben June 22 2015 Albert Pujols on his resurgence his All Star chances and his future Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on June 27 2015 Retrieved June 25 2015 a b Cassavell A J July 2 2015 Pujols crowned AL Player of the Month MLB com Archived from the original on March 3 2016 Retrieved September 1 2016 Gonzalez Alden July 6 2015 Pujols gets start at 1B on AL All Star team Veteran will replace injured Miggy in starting lineup MLB com Archived from the original on September 13 2016 Retrieved September 2 2016 Reiter Ben September 22 2015 Albert Pujols hits 556th career home run to pass Manny Ramirez NBC Archived from the original on September 26 2015 Retrieved October 5 2015 Snyder Matt October 4 2015 WATCH Albert Pujols reaches 40 HRs for seventh time in his career CBSSports com Archived from the original on September 19 2016 Retrieved September 2 2015 Major League Leaderboards 2016 Batters Advanced Statistics FanGraphs Baseball fangraphs com Archived from the original on December 22 2018 Retrieved December 21 2018 2015 American League Awards All Stars amp More Leaders Baseball Reference com The richest Dominican Republic born players in Major League Baseball today News America Now May 5 2016 Archived from the original on September 13 2016 Retrieved September 1 2016 Pujols reaches 100 RBI for 13th time Angels beat Jays 6 3 USA Today Associated Press August 25 2016 Archived from the original on August 26 2016 Retrieved August 28 2016 DiGiovanna Mike August 30 2016 Mike Trout may be the Angels star but Albert Pujols provides big hits and true grit Los Angeles Times Archived from the original on August 31 2016 Retrieved September 1 2016 Carlisle Mark September 16 2016 Albert Pujols records his 600th career double The Orange County Register Archived from the original on September 18 2016 Retrieved 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Wouldn t Return Albert Pujols 2000th RBI Ball Has Sudden Change of Heart 12up com May 11 2019 Archived from the original on July 25 2020 Retrieved May 20 2019 Baer Bill June 13 2019 Albert Pujols becomes sixth player to hit 200 homers with two teams NBC Sports Retrieved September 8 2020 Major League Leaderboards 2019 Batters Batted Ball Statistics FanGraphs Baseball fangraphs com Major League Leaderboards 2019 Batters Batted Ball Statistics fangraphs com Statcast Sprint Speed Leaderboard Baseballsavant mlb com Retrieved 2019 10 09 2019 American League Awards All Stars amp More Leaders Baseball Reference com 2019 American League Awards All Stars amp More Leaders Baseball Reference com Yearly League Leaders amp Records for Oldest Baseball Reference com Retrieved 31 July 2020 Acquavella Katherine August 25 2020 Albert Pujols moves ahead of Alex Rodriguez for second place on MLB s all time RBI list CBSsports com Retrieved August 26 2020 Hoffman Benjamin September 18 2020 Albert Pujols Passes Willie Mays in Home Runs if Not Dominance The New York Times Retrieved September 21 2020 a b Albert Pujols Stats Baseball Reference com Statcast Sprint Speed Leaderboard baseballsavant com 2020 American League Awards All Stars amp More Leaders Baseball Reference com Angels part ways with Albert Pujols MLB com 6 May 2021 Adams Steve May 13 2021 Albert Pujols Clears Waivers Becomes Free Agent MLB Trade Rumors Archived from the original on May 13 2021 Retrieved July 20 2021 Albert Pujols Angels career by the numbers 10 year deal ends with declining production and no playoff wins CBSSports com 6 May 2021 Posnanski Joe August 26 2016 The lost years of Pujols How the shift has ruined Albert Pujols ESPN August 7 2018 Toribio Juan Pujols Dodgers finalize one year deal MLB com Retrieved May 17 2021 Toribio Juan May 17 2021 Electric Buehler wows new teammate Pujols MLB com Retrieved May 18 2021 Dodgers Albert Pujols Changes His Jersey Number in Los Angeles Dodgers Nation 2021 05 17 Retrieved 2021 08 01 Toribio Juan May 20 2021 Energized Pujols hits first HR as a Dodger MLB com Retrieved May 21 2021 Miller Scott October 5 2021 A Baseball Machine Finds Happiness The New York Times a b Albert Pujols stats Baseball Reference Retrieved October 24 2021 Statcast Sprint Speed Leaderboard baseballsavant com a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint url status link Major League Leaderboards 2019 Batters Batted Ball Statistics FanGraphs Baseball www fangraphs com Respect your elders MLB s 10 oldest players MLB com Retrieved 2021 10 25 Los Angeles Dodgers Albert Pujols to play in Dominican Republic not ready to retire from MLB ESPN October 29 2021 Retrieved October 30 2021 Denton John March 28 2022 Pujols returns to Cardinals for final season MLB com Retrieved March 28 2022 It feels like I never left Albert Pujols relishes Cardinals return 20 April 2022 2022 Major League Baseball Awards All Stars amp More Leaders Baseball Reference com Denton John May 15 2022 Now pitching for the Cardinals Albert Pujols MLB com Retrieved May 16 2022 Goold Derrick June 4 2022 As one hitting streak comes to an end another continues for Cardinals remarkable Goldschmidt St Louis Post Dispatch Retrieved June 5 2022 Didtler Mark June 8 2022 Walls hits 3 run homer in 10th Rays beat Cardinals 4 2 Associated Press Retrieved January 16 2023 Denton John July 10 2022 Pujols hits 684th HR I work my butt off to be ready MLB com Retrieved July 10 2022 Miles Mikolas named All Star for 2nd time will replace Brewers Corbin Burnes ksdk com July 17 2022 Cardinals Albert Pujols will participate in Home Run Derby Sources The Athletic 2022 07 12 Retrieved 2022 07 19 Cardinals Albert Pujols hits 700th home run becoming 4th player to reach the mark NPR 2022 09 23 Retrieved 2022 09 24 Rill Jake August 21 2022 Pujols homers twice sparking thoughts of 700 MLB com Retrieved January 16 2023 Cardinals sluggers Pujols Goldschmidt named co NL Players of the week 22 August 2022 Aldrich Will August 29 2022 Pujols sets record with homer off 450th pitcher MLB com Retrieved August 30 2022 Selbe Nick Albert Pujols Passes MLB Legend With Career HR No 697 Sports Illustrated Retrieved 2022 09 12 Denton John Time tested Waino Yadi battery sets record that may never be broken MLB com Retrieved 2022 09 15 MLB live updates Cardinals at Dodgers game on 09 23 2022 free with MLB Gameday MLB com Retrieved 24 September 2022 Denton John Pujols lets emotions flow after joining 700 Home Run Club MLB com Retrieved 2022 09 24 Pujols honored pregame then slugs 702nd HR ESPN com 2022 10 02 Retrieved 2022 10 03 Perry Dayn Anderson R J October 3 2022 Cardinals Albert Pujols passes Babe Ruth for second on all time RBI list with career home run No 703 CBS Sports Retrieved October 4 2022 Denton John September 28 2022 This is what we play for Cards clinch NL Central title MLB com Retrieved January 16 2023 Zolecki Todd October 8 2022 Worth the wait Phils defy huge odds with historic rally in G1 win MLB com Retrieved January 16 2023 Zolecki Todd October 9 2022 Steady Nola rewriting narrative sends Phils to NLDS MLB com Retrieved January 16 2023 Randhawa Manny November 1 2022 Pujols makes retirement official signs papers MLB com Retrieved January 16 2023 Comeback Player of the Year Award 11 23 2022 MLB com Retrieved 2023 01 09 Pujols Verlander add to legend with Comeback Player of the Year Award MLB com Retrieved 2023 01 09 Justice Richard March 12 2012 Consistent Pujols unfazed by expectations MLB com Archived from the original on October 23 2013 Retrieved November 27 2012 Habib Daniel G May 22 2006 A Swing of Beauty sportsillustrated cnn com Archived from the original on January 15 2010 Retrieved November 27 2012 Curry Jack May 31 2009 The Many Hitting Faces of Albert Pujols The New York Times Archived from the original on December 4 2013 Retrieved December 3 2012 Schneider Joey October 6 2022 Albert Pujols finishes with more home runs in sendoff season than eight team leaders FOX2now Retrieved December 4 2022 Leach Matthew October 4 2009 Pujols sets first baseman assist mark MLB com Archived from the original on September 26 2012 Retrieved August 9 2012 I m still going to retire Albert Pujols making charge at 700 home runs in final days of career USA Today Archived from the original on October 10 2022 Schoenfield David July 29 2013 Active players who will be Hall of Famers ESPN com Archived from the original on December 7 2014 Retrieved November 28 2014 Jaffe Jay July 26 2013 Who is Cooperstown bound A look at active players with strong Hall of Fame cases Sports Illustrated Archived from the original on December 5 2014 Retrieved November 28 2014 Cameron Dave January 7 2014 Which active players are going to Cooperstown Fangraphs Archived from the original on December 19 2014 Retrieved November 28 2014 Stark Jayson April 24 2008 Identifying the most feared hitter in the bigs ESPN Archived from the original on October 12 2011 Retrieved July 23 2012 Hummel Rick June 6 2011 Encore Pujols walk off homer beats Cubs St Louis Post Dispatch Archived from the original on October 12 2012 Retrieved July 25 2012 Leach Matthew November 22 2010 Pujols runner up to Votto for NL MVP MLB com Archived from the original on January 23 2012 Retrieved August 6 2012 Dodd Rustin June 21 2009 Pujols powers sweep of Royals MLB com Archived from the original on November 11 2012 Retrieved July 14 2012 Bollinger Rhett July 20 2009 Pujols wins ESPY for Best Baseball Player Cardinals MLB com Archived from the original on September 25 2012 Retrieved July 20 2012 The 2011 Awards fieldingbible com Archived from the original on November 2 2011 Retrieved August 3 2012 Leach Matthew December 15 2008 Pujols named TYIB s Hitter of the Year MLB com Archived from the original on December 17 2008 Retrieved December 15 2008 Footer Alyson October 22 2003 Pujols A Rod win Aaron award Cardinals MLB com Archived from the original on December 7 2013 Retrieved June 1 2012 Leach Matthew November 1 2009 Aaron Award is latest hardware for Pujols Cardinals MLB com Archived from the original on September 26 2012 Retrieved July 19 2012 Leach Matthew July 4 2004 Renteria gives Cards three of a kind Cardinals MLB com Archived from the original on October 8 2012 Retrieved June 11 2012 Leach Matthew July 3 2005 Cards land six pack in All Star Game MLB com Retrieved June 16 2012 Leach Matthew July 2 2006 Pujols garners most votes in NL MLB com Retrieved June 22 2012 Leach Matthew July 1 2007 Pujols named All Star for sixth time MLB com Archived from the original on September 11 2007 Retrieved June 27 2012 Leach Matthew July 6 2008 Pujols Ludwick named NL All Stars MLB com Archived from the original on August 17 2008 Retrieved July 5 2012 2015 All Star Game Interactive Roster Major League Baseball Archived from the original on September 9 2015 Retrieved September 23 2015 St Louis Cardinals Albert Pujols Detroit Tigers Miguel Cabrera to participate in 2022 MLB All Star Game ESPN 8 July 2022 Archived from the original on July 11 2022 Retrieved July 16 2022 Leach Matthew June 2 2003 Pujols is NL Player of the Month Cardinals MLB com Archived from the original on December 7 2013 Retrieved May 28 2012 Leach Matthew July 2 2003 Pujols takes back to back months Cardinals MLB com Archived from the original on December 7 2013 Retrieved May 28 2012 Klemish Dawn May 2 2006 Pujols earns NL Player of Month Cardinals MLB com Archived from the original on March 2 2012 Retrieved June 22 2012 Singer Tom May 5 2009 Pujols honored as April s top NL hitter Cardinals MLB com Retrieved July 14 2012 Leach Matthew July 3 2009 Pujols named NL Player of the Month Cardinals MLB com Archived from the original on March 2 2012 Retrieved July 14 2012 Leach Matthew May 5 2003 Pujols named week s best MLB com Archived from the original on December 7 2013 Retrieved May 25 2012 Leach Matthew June 6 2005 Pujols shares player of week honors MLB com Archived from the original on March 2 2012 Retrieved June 15 2012 Sahly John May 15 2006 Nomar Pujols share NL Player of Week MLB com Retrieved June 23 2012 Moore C J July 16 2007 Pujols named NL Player of the Week MLB com Retrieved June 27 2012 Clark Ronald P August 26 2008 Pujols wins NL Player of the Week MLB com Archived from the original on June 15 2011 Retrieved September 28 2011 Albert Pujols of the St Louis Cardinals named Bank of America Presents the National League Player of the Week MLB com September 29 2008 Archived from the original on March 4 2016 Retrieved July 7 2012 Leach Matthew April 27 2009 Pujols named NL Player of the Week MLB com Archived from the original on May 1 2009 Retrieved July 13 2012 Leach Matthew June 22 2009 Pujols named NL Player of the Week MLB com Archived from the original on June 26 2009 Retrieved July 14 2012 Drellich Evan June 6 2011 Pujols breaks out wins NL Player of Week MLB com Archived from the original on October 11 2012 Retrieved August 1 2012 Casella Paul August 6 2012 Pujols wins first AL Player of the Week honors MLB com Retrieved August 8 2012 permanent dead link a b Leach Matthew November 5 2003 Pujols named the best by his peers MLB com Archived from the original on December 7 2013 Retrieved June 1 2012 Walton Brian October 24 2008 1B Albert Pujols Adds Players Choice Player of the Year Award scout com Archived from the original on July 2 2013 Retrieved July 8 2012 a b Frisaro Joe October 30 2009 a, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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