St. Louis Cardinals veteran Albert Pujols is in the midst of his final MLB season.
The 42-year-old began his career with the Cardinals way back in 2001, and he’s set to finish his career with the organization this year.
It has been a 22-season MLB journey for Pujols, and along the way, he’s spent time with the Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
However, when all is said and done, he’ll certainly be remembered best as a Cardinal, which is why it’s very poetic that he’s ending his career with St. Louis this season.
It has already been a special year for the three-time MVP, but there’s a chance that his 2022 season will turn into a storybook ending for him.
His return to St. Louis was the first step, but here are a couple of other ways his last season could turn into a fairytale.
Reaching 700 Homers
Baseball fans love round numbers, and Pujols is very close to reaching a massive one.
Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth are the only players in MLB history who have hit 700 career home runs.
There’s a chance that will change before the 2022 season ends, as Pujols is just eight home runs away from checking that remarkable box.
Sure, the Cardinals only have 42 regular season games left, and it’s going to be a tall task for Pujols to reach that 700 mark.
But he has been crushing the ball lately to the tune of a .556 batting average, 1.846 OPS, and six home runs over his last nine games.
In truth, he’s been on a tear for over a month, as he’s slashed .403/.456/.833 (1.289 OPS) over 24 games since July 10.
Albert Pujols' last 24 hours:
2 home runs
5 for 5 at the plate
Countless standing ovations pic.twitter.com/DqJoynSPng— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 21, 2022
With the way he’s seeing the ball right now, he may very well reach 700 before the year ends.
But don’t get it twisted — even if he comes up short, he’s still going to retire.
“I’m still going to retire, no matter whether I end up hitting 693, 696, 700, whatever,’’ Pujols told USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. “I don’t get caught up in numbers. If you were going to tell me 22 years ago that I would be this close, I would have told you that you’re freakin’ crazy. My career has been amazing.’’
MLB fans all over the world would love to see Pujols reach 700 home runs, and it’s a possibility that’s entirely on the table.
Time will tell if it happens.
Being Part Of A Cardinals Title Run
The Cardinals have built themselves a solid lead atop the NL Central.
Entering play on Monday, St. Louis has a five-game lead in the division.
The #STLCards sweep the #Dbacks, 6-4, and are 15-3 in August, their best August winning percentage since 1944. They have 5-game lead over #Brewers
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) August 21, 2022
The team seems destined for the playoffs, and assuming it gets there, Pujols is going to have a chance to add to his iconic playoff resume.
The 11-time All-Star has already won two World Series titles, but if he were to win a third in his final MLB season, that would be truly special.
Pujols has played in 86 career playoff games, and his postseason numbers are pretty remarkable, as he owns a .321 batting average and 1.007 OPS.
It would be hard to imagine a better way for the future Hall of Famer to end his career than with one more championship.
NEXT: Albert Pujols Made Unique MLB History With A Grand Slam