Honestly, looking back at the career stats for Albert Pujols is like trying to wrap your head around a mountain range. You know it’s huge, but it isn’t until you’re standing at the base that you realize just how impossible the scale really is. For twenty-two years, this guy wasn't just a baseball player; he was a metronome of destruction.
We’ve all seen the final numbers. 703 home runs. 3,384 hits. 2,218 RBIs. But those are just the "back of the baseball card" digits. To really get why he was nicknamed La Máquina (The Machine), you have to look at the consistency. Most players have a "peak." Albert had a decade where he was essentially a video game character played on easy mode.
The St. Louis Decade: 2001-2011
If you weren't watching baseball in the early 2000s, it's hard to describe the fear Pujols put into opposing pitchers. From his rookie year in 2001 through 2010, he did something that sounds fake: he hit at least .300 with 30 home runs and 100 RBIs every single season. Ten years in a row. Basically, if the sun came up, Albert was driving in a run.
His rookie season alone was a masterpiece. He batted .329 with 37 homers and 130 RBIs. Most guys would retire happy with that as their career-high. For Albert, that was just Tuesday. During those 11 seasons with the Cardinals, he racked up three MVP awards (2005, 2008, 2009) and finished in the top five of the voting almost every other year.
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He wasn't just a slugger, though. He was a disciplined assassin. In 2006, he hit 49 home runs and only struck out 50 times. Read that again. In the modern era, guys hit 40 homers and strike out 180 times. Albert’s hand-eye coordination was freakish.
Key Cardinals Metrics
During his first stint in St. Louis, his slash line was a ridiculous .328/.420/.617. He led the league in runs scored five times and total bases four times. He also won two Gold Gloves at first base because, apparently, being the best hitter on the planet wasn't enough. He wanted to take away your hits too.
The Angels Era and the "Decline" Narrative
In 2012, everything changed. He signed that massive 10-year, $240 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels. People talk about the Angels years like they were a disaster. Sure, his batting average dropped and his lower body started to fail him. But even a "bad" Albert Pujols was still a middle-of-the-order threat.
He still put up some serious career stats for Albert Pujols while in Anaheim.
- He had 40 home runs in 2015.
- He drove in 119 runs in 2016.
- He reached the 3,000-hit club in an Angels uniform in 2018.
- He hit his 600th home run in 2017 off Ervin Santana.
The problem was the contract. When you're making $25 million or $30 million a year, hitting .245 feels like a crime. But he was still compiling the kind of volume that only the gods of the game—Aaron, Mays, Bonds—ever touched. He passed Willie Mays on the all-time home run list while in LA, and that’s not nothing.
That Final, Impossible Summer of 2022
If Albert had retired after his 2021 stint with the Dodgers, his legacy was already set. But that 2022 return to St. Louis? That was pure cinema.
Entering the season, he needed 21 home runs to reach 700. At age 42, nobody thought he’d get there. By August, he was still sitting in the 680s. Then, something clicked. Maybe it was the St. Louis air or just one last gasp from the Machine, but he went on a tear for the ages.
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He hit .270 that year with a .895 OPS—his best mark in a decade. On September 23, 2022, at Dodger Stadium, he launched career home run number 700 off Phil Bickford. The baseball world collectively lost its mind. He didn't just crawl across the finish line; he sprinted.
The Final Career Tally
He finished with a .296 career average. It’s a bit of a bummer he fell just short of the .300 mark, but playing until you're 42 will do that. He ended up 2nd all-time in RBIs (2,218), trailing only Hank Aaron. He's also 2nd all-time in total bases (6,211).
Think about that. In the 150-year history of the sport, only one human being has more total bases than Albert Pujols.
Why the Career Stats for Albert Pujols Matter Today
We live in an era of "Three True Outcomes"—home runs, walks, or strikeouts. Albert represented a bridge between the old-school contact hitters and the new-school power threats. He rarely swung at pitches out of the zone, he didn't strike out, and he hit the ball harder than almost anyone of his generation.
If you’re looking at his Hall of Fame case, don’t just look at the 703 homers. Look at the doubles (701—5th all-time). Look at the fact that he was an 11-time All-Star. He was a complete offensive force.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Collectors:
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- Appreciate the Longevity: When evaluating modern players, use Albert's 10-year peak (2001-2010) as the gold standard for consistency.
- Memorabilia Context: His "700th Home Run" items and 2001 Rookie cards remain the blue chips of the modern collecting era due to his "clean" reputation during the steroid era.
- Stat Comparison: If you're arguing about the greatest first baseman ever, Lou Gehrig is the only one who truly challenges Albert's peak-plus-longevity combo.
Albert Pujols didn't just play baseball; he solved it. He treated 98-mph fastballs like batting practice lobs for two decades. Whether you loved the Cardinals or hated them, you had to respect the sheer, relentless production. The Machine is finally at rest, but those numbers aren't going anywhere.