Baseball Musings: The Greatness of Albert Pujols

April 17, 2006

The Greatness of Albert Pujols

Albert Pujols hit three home runs in yesterday's Cardinals victory over the Cincinnati Reds. I was actually surprised to see it was only the second three home run game of his career; he's such a great hitter I thought he'd have more.

I'm sure you've seen the stats about most X over the first Y years of a career. But have you noticed that the only thing Albert doesn't do well offensively is hit triples? He has a break even base stealing percentage for his career, and is 18 for 20 since the start of 2005. Look at the splits for his career. I dare you to find a weakness. He hits lefties and righties. He hits home and away. He hits in every situation. His averages with a runner on third and less than two out: .413/.463/.800 with twenty nine sacrifice flies. He doesn't ground into many double plays for a slow, right-handed batter. At age 26, he's just four hits away from 1000. With forty four hit by pitches and 414 walks, Albert Pujols earned his way on base 1454 times in his career.

There are only seven players who reached base 5000 in their careers; Rose, Cobb, Henderson, Yastrzemski, Musial, Aaron and Barry Bonds. Albert should be in the most productive five years of his career. He's laid the foundation to be at 5000 by the time he hits 40. With a little imagination and a great five year stretch here, one can see Albert becoming the first player to reach 6000 times on base.

And while we're setting goals, how about 700 doubles and 700 home runs? There are four players with 700 doubles, and three with 700 home runs, and the lists do not intersect. Albert has over 200 of each very early in his career.

One correspondent recently asked me about Albert's age. When someone comes up at age 20 and hits like that, it's very easy to believe he's older than claimed. If that were true, if he were 23 or 24 when he came up, we might be seeing a decline by now. If he were 22, we might not. If Albert continues to hit like this over the next two or three seasons, that's a pretty good indication he was 20 when he joined the big leagues. And then the sky's the limit.

Posted by David Pinto at 08:43 AM | All-Time Greats | TrackBack (0)

Comments

And don't forget how healthy he's been (knock-on-wood). Has he ever been on the DL? If he has, it wasn't for long.

Posted by: sabernar at April 17, 2006 09:54 AM

No extended DL time. Been in and out of the lineup a lot with various bumps and bruises, most famously the plantar facilitis in his foot, which requires him to miss a week every once in a while when it is treated.

Posted by: Valatan at April 17, 2006 11:03 AM

The dude is a robot. Most consistant player I have ever seen.

Posted by: Mike Lafser at April 17, 2006 01:20 PM

To to think, he might not even be in the majors, if Bobby Bonilla hadn't gotten hurt at the end of spring training 5 years ago.

Posted by: JeremyR at April 17, 2006 05:02 PM

Eh, I've heard the story; only reason he wasn't supposed to be in the lineup yet is that TLR didn't think Colorado was the best ballpark for him to start his career at. He WAS coming to the majors, it just wasn't going to be the opening series.

Posted by: V at April 17, 2006 09:35 PM

if albert pujols hits 42 home runs and 75 rbi's for 6 more years he might end up being the best hitter of the 21st century hes on his way to hall of fame, hes the best i have seen&my dad who is 52 saw musial,willams,babe ruth,mike piZza, and pujols is on his way to being the best hitter of all time in 21st century, albert is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: nick at April 23, 2006 12:21 AM

pujols is awsome, he is so paient at the plate, and will take walks and i think before its all said in done in 10 years pujols might be the cardinals all time walk leader, pujols does everything hes so awsome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, pujols is on his way to hall of fame!!!! pujols will end his carrear with 524 home runs 9,000 rbi's

Posted by: nick at April 23, 2006 12:26 AM

pujols is the best first basemen in the national league in my book do you see how he plays first base??? hes so paient and does everything perfect,

albert pujols has been compared to jack clark, and tod peneltin former cards and pujols is so specail!!!!!!!!!! pujols trys to get better every at bat ervery day!!!! god bless pujols the legend

Posted by: nick at April 23, 2006 12:32 AM

Last season while the Cardinals had the winning run on base, bottom of the ninth at Busch 2, I saw Albert Pujols remove the bat from a young Cardinal hitters hands as he was" in the hole" and place it back in the bat rack. (He said " you won't be needing this!") He was confident in the hitter at the plate. Of course the hitter drove in the winning run. Albert Pujols shows great leadership on and off the field! This guy is magic. (Ask Brad Lidge)

Posted by: darryl raglin at April 26, 2006 11:31 PM

yes pujols took the bat from john rodriguez(hes not young bees 32) and pujols took the bat&yes drove in wining run,

pujols is amazing!!!!!!!!!

pujols=legend

Posted by: nick at April 29, 2006 11:45 AM

PUJOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! pujols is amazing and i hope he retires in 7 years in st louis!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! albert pujols is amazing

Posted by: nick at April 29, 2006 11:48 AM

i know people in the card's organization who believe that pujols is closer to 35 then he is to 25...

Posted by: saul at May 1, 2006 05:16 PM

i know people in the card's organization who believe that pujols is closer to 35 then he is to 25...??? explain please

albert is everything to st louis cardinals god bless, MVP MVP MVP MVP MVP

Posted by: nick at May 1, 2006 11:51 PM

In the game where Albert Pujols took the bat away from John Rodriguez and said he wouldn't need it, it was David Eckstein who hit a walk-off grand slam.

Posted by: Sandy at May 11, 2006 02:50 PM

Albert will be the best player to ever play the game. He is a great player and is only 26. If he has 10-13 more years like this, he will have hit about 550-700 homers and have hitten a ton of RBI's. Thank you Albert.
Go Cardinals!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: Cards fan at May 22, 2006 09:38 PM

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