St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols is working on an unforgettable final season.
The future Hall of Famer has been one of the best stories in baseball in 2022, and from a production standpoint, he’s having his best showing in years.
To celebrate his season, we’re going to look at a few stats that illustrate how phenomenal he has been this year.
Let’s get started.
3) .528 Slugging Percentage
It has been a special season for Pujols from a power-hitting perspective.
He has 18 home runs and 12 doubles in just 252 at-bats.
As a result, Pujols has a massive slugging percentage of .528, which is his best mark since the 2011 season, when he posted a slugging percentage of .541.
That 2011 campaign was his final season with St. Louis before he joined the Los Angeles Angels, and he finished fifth in MVP voting that year.
Now, more than a decade later, he’s showing that he still has power left in the tank.
2) 6.3 Home Run Percentage
Home run percentage is a statistic that measures the percentage of a player’s plate appearances that result in home runs.
In Pujols’ case this season, he boasts a home run percentage of 6.3.
That’s an extremely high number — in fact, it’s tied for the fourth-best mark of his career in that category (and his best since 2009).
Pujols is no longer an everyday starter, but he’s certainly making the most of his role this season.
He has come through in clutch situations on countless occasions for the Cardinals, and he’s a major reason why St. Louis is currently a first-place team.
Of course, one of the biggest topics in baseball right now is Pujols’ quest for 700 career home runs, and he’s just three away as play begins on Tuesday.
His most recent home runs have had a flair for the dramatic, as they’ve come in crucial moments.
Albert Pujols hits a go-ahead home run in what could be his final at bat against the Cubs!
No. 695 ‼️ pic.twitter.com/jmKoCopcar
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) September 4, 2022
696!
PUJOLS TIES A-ROD! THIS MIGHT HAPPEN! pic.twitter.com/dGgNlLvyEn
— Just Baseball (@JustBBMedia) September 11, 2022
ALBERT PUJOLS HR NO. 697 🚨
Pujols moves to 4th in all-time HR list after passing A Rod
(via @BallySportsMW)pic.twitter.com/Sk5ZVSDg2m
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 11, 2022
Time will tell if the three-time MVP reaches 700 home runs before the season ends.
1) 214 wRC+ In 2nd Half
Pujols has been a different player in the second half of the season.
After posting a wRC+ of 92 in the first half, he has maintained an absurd wRC+ of 214 in the second half.
For context, an average wRC+ is 100, so Pujols’ wRC+ has been 114 percent better than average in the second half of the season.
Also in the second half, he’s batting .340 with a mammoth 1.142 OPS.
It has been a long time since baseball fans last saw this side of Pujols, who seems to be emptying the tank in his final MLB season.
He has legitimately been one of the league’s best players in recent months, which is something very few people saw coming.
Now, the 11-time All-Star would surely love nothing more than to help the Cardinals lock up the NL Central and make a deep run in the playoffs.
If Pujols and the Cardinals were to capture the 2022 World Series title, it would give the slugger his third championship ring, which would be a fairytale way for his career to end.
With less than a month remaining in the regular season, it won’t be long before the playoff journey begins for St. Louis and other title hopefuls around the league.
NEXT: Max Kellerman Shares Reckless Albert Pujols Speculation