Crazy comeback down the stretch is overshadowed by Albert Pujols’ two-homer performance
With the exception of Aaron Judge, Cardinals DH Albert Pujols has been on an unbelievable run since the beginning of July.
Albert Pujols is suddenly within striking distance of reaching 700 home runs to cap off his illustrious career.
It was beneficial to have a two-homer game against the Brewers on Sunday over the weekend. That one sparked discussion.
But don’t misinterpret it. Pujols isn’t simply trying to reach his career high or put up respectable statistics for a 42-year-old. He’s actually been among baseball’s top hitters for more than a month.
Crazy’s comeback down the stretch is overshadowed by Albert Pujols’ two-homer performance
Only one player in the majors, Aaron Judge, has an OPS higher than Albert Pujols’ 1.144 since July 6. In that category, Pujols is outperforming players like Austin Riley, Juan Soto, Kris Bryant, Nolan Arenado, and Freddie Freeman.
It’s an unbelievable amount of work for a guy who, despite increasing evidence to the contrary, still maintains he will retire at the conclusion of this season (he reiterated this to Benjamin Hochman on Monday). It’s not out of the question for him to continue producing at age 43 if he can put together a run like this at 42.
The Cardinals definitely didn’t anticipate getting this version of the iconic player when they brought Pujols back for this final season. He may not be performing at his absurd peak, but he still makes a significant contribution.
In spite of all the odds, he is currently only 11 home runs away from reaching 700.
Can he continue in this shape? Down the stretch, St. Louis will be worth paying special attention to.