There is no hiding from the fact that Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is one of the best sluggers in Major League Baseball history. Pujols is a three-time National League MVP while he was also the 2001 NL Rookie of the Year. But at 34-years of age the term “washed up” has been thrown around by some people to describe Pujols recently. After spending the first 11 years of his Major League Baseball career with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols signed a lucrative 10-year, $254 million contract to join the Angels in 2012. Pujols came to the Angels under heavy expectations after helping the Cardinals win two World Series Championships. Following a slow start in 2012, Pujols would finish that season with 30 home runs and 105 runs batted in. Last year Pujols only appeared in 99 games as a Lisfranc foot injury limited him to just 17 home runs, 64 runs batted in, and a .258 batting average which were all career lows. Pujols’ best baseball days appeared to be behind him in St. Louis.
Pujols entered the 2014 MLB season looking to regain his old form. Pujols has gotten off to a typical Pujols-type start to this season as his six home runs so far are tied for tops in the American League while his 14 runs batted are currently second on the Angels ball club. Pujols’ home run total so far this season is already one-third of the way to his total from last season and he is also zeroing in on a historic milestone in the process.
After launching a home on Saturday afternoon against the Detroit Tigers, Pujols now has 498 career home runs under his belt and he is just two homers away from being just the 26th player in Major League Baseball history to hit 500 career home runs. Pujols is on the threshold of joining players such as Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Mickey Mantle in baseball immortality when he hits his 500th career home run. When Pujols reaches the 500 home run mark he would become only the second player to reach the mark in an Angels uniform. The only player to reach the 500 home run mark while playing with the Angels was Baseball Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson who achieved the fete on September 17, 1984.
Pujols is regaining his form which is bad news for pitchers in the AL. When Pujols is in one of his grooves the baseball can resemble a beach ball to him as far as its size. Pujols’ timing appears to be back at the plate as his legs (more importantly his plant foot) are once again under him as he has now been able to fully follow through on his swings. Pujols is not a typical power-hitter as he is a .321 career hitter who knows how to make contact to all parts of the baseball field.
Another factor for Pujols’ turnaround this season is that his family is now with him in Southern California. Pujols’ wife Deidre and their five children were still back in Missouri until recently. When a man is not around his family it can play heavy on his mind as he is thinking about them. Now Pujols can focus on playing baseball as his family is once again by his side.
Pujols’ return to his old form could not have come at a better time for the Angels who are currently without the services of outfielder Josh Hamilton who is on the disabled list recovering from a thumb injury. Hamilton was off to a good start this season with a .444 batting homers in his first 8 games of 2014, but Pujols is picking up the slack in his absence.
It is only a matter of time before Pujols reaches the 500 mark, but more importantly he is regaining his old form which was the reason why the Angels decided to pay him a king’s ransom to move to Orange County as he is trying to help the franchise reach to the postseason for the first time since 2009.
Source: Baseball-reference.com
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