By Gary Armida

It may seem obvious, but it still has to be said. Albert Pujols is really good. Shocking, isn’t it? Sure, the two-time MVP is appreciated around the league and is generally regarded as one of the best hitters in the game today. Much like certain legends of Baseball (Hank Aaron, Frank Robinson, and Lou Gehrig), Pujols is actually undervalued when compared to other players. Often, fans and media will call Alex Rodriguez the best player in the game. While Rodriguez is an all-time great hitter and a favorite to retire as Baseball’s all-time homerun king, he is not as prolific as Albert Pujols. Rodriguez’s career line of .306/.389/.578 is quite good. But, Pujols’ line of .334/.425/.624 (albeit in 7 less seasons so far) is legendary. Because he plays in St. Louis, he is not publicized nationally like Rodriguez. Some could argue that we are just looking at eight years which is hardly enough time to evaluate a career in terms of legendary status. That argument is valid 99 percent of the time, but Pujols is that one percent. His first eight seasons are so good that a valid argument could be made that he is Hall of Fame worthy right now. Yes, it’s a bit of a stretch, but the argument could be made. We’ll save that argument for another day. Instead, with Pujols winning his second MVP award, one can begin to put his career into proper perspective. So, in an attempt to bring some clarity (without the hyperbole), let’s analyze the legendary career of Albert Pujols.

Alone at the Top

In today’s baseball landscape, Albert Pujols is the best hitter in baseball. In his eight seasons, he has never hit below .314 (which was his sophomore season). In fact, Pujols has only hit below .330 twice during his career. He’s scored over 100 runs in seven of his eight seasons (he had 99 runs scored in 2007). He’s hit at least 32 homeruns and has driven in at least 100 runs in all eight seasons. Pujols has slugged at least .600 in six of his eight seasons. He has finished in the top 10 in MVP voting every year. Quite frankly, there is nobody who has this type of resume. Alex Rodriguez can’t make such claims, neither can Ken Griffey Jr. or Barry Bonds. Along with that aforementioned career line of .334/.425/.624, he has hit 319 homeruns, scored 947 runs, driven 977 runs, and has walked 696 times. With legendary consistency and the ability to perform when it matters, Pujols has carved out a place among the baseball elite.

Even more astounding than his regular season performance is his ability to hit during those clutch situations. For his career, he is a .344/.474/.671 hitter with runners in scoring position. In “late and close” situations, he is a career .315/.440/.615 hitter. Someone is reading this right now and thinking, “That’s all well and good, but does he hit in the post season?” Does he hit in the post season? Well, how does a line of .323/.429/.593 with 13 homeruns and 35 RBI sound?  All of that came in just 53 post season games.

For his career, Pujols ranks 23^rd all-time in batting average (first among active players). He is 13^th all-time in on base percentage and 4^th all-time in slugging percentage. While those numbers could (and probably will) fall due to declining performance during the latter part of his career, his compiled statistics are quite good. If he performs close to his current standards, he projects to finish with over 700 homeruns and 2,000 RBI. Those numbers are legendary.

Good Company

Often, current players are called legends when they don’t deserve it. It is a need by current day writers to discuss players in the same light much like the writers who covered the likes of Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron. For some reason, Pujols gets praised, but he hasn’t truly been discussed as an all-time great. Injuries could derail his career (just look to Don Mattingly for that), but judging his first eight years may be enough. As of this point, Pujols is enjoying some good company.

 Admittedly, it may be too early to place him with these names. However, given the number of years he has played, the consistency that he has displayed, and the pace he has set, he belongs with these legends. Only Alex Rodriguez, Manny Ramirez, and Ken Griffey Jr. can even be discussed from today’s players in comparison to the legends of yesteryear.

Add into this discussion that Pujols is an above average first baseman (considered by many sabermatricians) and his resume just keeps getting better.

Closing Thoughts

Albert Pujols may very well end up as the greatest hitter of all-time when he is finished playing. However, that is at least 12 years away. Helping his cause for longevity is the fact he plays first base, the least demanding position on the field. Secondly, he is in the ideal baseball situation. St. Louis is often referred to as Baseball Heaven because the organization consistently fields a competitive team and the fans are perhaps the nicest fans in the game.

The only obstacle that he faces that could deter his career is injury, specifically his troubled right elbow. He had surgery in October and should be ready for Spring Training. However, Pujols has publicly stated that he may need Tommy John surgery at some point soon. While it remains a slim choice for now, there will come a time when he will have to deal with this issue as it caused numbness and irritation in his hand and pain in his forearm this season, specifically the last two months (he hit .398 and .321 during those last two months). The fact that he played through the injury and won an MVP award only adds to his lore.  

If he can remain healthy, there is little doubt that Albert Pujols is Cooperstown bound. It’s time for the rest of the baseball world to stop thinking of him as “just” another great player in the game today. At this point, he is the greatest player in the game today.