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Albert Pujols Passes A-Rod on All-Time Home Run List

Albert Pujols now has sole possession of fourth all-time on the career home run list. Pujols hit his 697th home run, surpassing Álex Rodríguez, who is now fifth in home runs. Similar to home run No. 696, the tiebreaking 697th was spectacular. The home run came in the ninth inning when Pujols sent a fastball from Chase De Jong to deep center field to give the Cardinals the lead for the first time in the game.

De Jong is one of 453 different pitchers to surrender a round-tripper to Albert throughout his career. The 42-year-old became the all-time leader on August 29 when he passed Barry Bonds on August 29 when he hit a two-run shot off of Ross Detwiler. Bonds homered off 449 different pitchers while becoming the career leader in home runs with 762.

Pujols leads all active players by a significant margin. Miguel Cabrera is second with 506. Nelson Cruz has 459. No other active player has more than 400 home runs. In short, Pujols’ place in the number four slot should be safe for the foreseeable future. Rodríguez held the fourth spot since May 7, 2015, when he hit his 661st home run to pass Willie Mays. In addition, Pujols’ push to 700 became more of a reality, something only three sluggers have in the history of baseball.

The Cardinals have 21 games left this season, so Pujols has a chance to reach the milestone. While Pujols had a sluggish start in his return to St. Louis this season, he has been a force since the All-Star break. Since the second half, Pujols has been hitting .343/.400/.737 with 12 home runs and 28 RBI. A key reason for the two-time World Series champions’ success is his ability to hit well against left-handed pitching. 12 of his first 16 home runs came against lefties.

 

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Players mentioned:

Albert Pujols, Chase De Jong, Álex Rodríguez, Barry Bonds, Ross Detwiler, Miguel Cabrera , Nelson Cruz , Willie Mays, Babe Ruth

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