With a single in the fifth against the Seattle Mariners, Albert Pujols has officially joined the 3,000 hit club. Drafted 402nd overall in 1999 by the St. Louis Cardinals and playing in his 17th big league season, he has put together a Hall of Fame caliber career. Pujols becomes the 32nd member of the 3,000 hit club, surely sealing his future induction into Cooperstown.
The 3,000 Hit Club just got bigger! Albert Pujols, you’re its newest member! #Pujols3000 pic.twitter.com/hatWVJblga
— Angels (@Angels) May 5, 2018
Albert Pujols Joins 3,000 Hit Club
Career
Pujols earned NL Rookie of the Year honors in 2001 with 37 home runs, 130 RBI, and an impressive 1.013 OPS. The league was immediately put on notice, and he has never let up. His presence at the plate has not gone unnoticed over the years as he has used his power to force opposing managers to intentionally walk him 308 times.
Pujols’ durability can also not go unnoticed. He has played in over 100 games every season except one. He was limited to 99 games during the 2013 season due to a partial tear of his left plantar fascia. Another impressive feat for Pujols is his ability to rarely strikeout. He has never had a 100 strikeout season with his career high of 93 coming in two seasons: his rookie year of 2001 and last season in 2017.
He has played for two teams in his career. The St. Louis Cardinals from 2001 to 2011 and the Los Angeles Angels from 2012 to the present. He is atop the leader board in all but two categories (triples and games played) in batting statistics for the Cardinals in team history. He has taken the decade of success he found in St. Louis to the Angels over the past six plus seasons and continues to climb the record books in their team history, currently ranking sixth in home runs and seventh in RBI.
At 38-years old, Pujols has three years remaining on his 10-year, $240 million deal with the Angels and shows no reasons why he could not play past age 40, especially with access to the DH spot from time to time. He is a two-time World Series champion with the Cardinals in 2006 and 2011, three time NL MVP (2005, 2008, and 2009), six time NL Silver Slugger, and 10 time All Star. His resume is Hall of Fame worthy and now a member of the 3000 hit club, his enshrining in baseball immortality is all but certain.
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