Los Angeles Angels: Albert Pujols hits No. 600 in grand fashion

History occurred Saturday night in Anaheim as Albert Pujols hit his 600th career home run against the Minnesota Twins.

In the bottom of the fourth inning, with the bases loaded and two outs, on a 1-2 pitch from Twins starter Ervin Santana, Albert Pujols hit career home run No. 600 Saturday night in front of the home crowd at Angel Stadium.

Pujols became the first ever player to hit their 600th career home run in grand slam fashion. He became the ninth player in MLB history to hit the 600 home run plateau.

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The slugger joins some impressive company in the 600 home run club. The other eight members include Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755), Babe Ruth (714), Alex Rodriguez (696), Willie Mays (660), Ken Griffey Jr. (630), Jim Thome (612) and Sammy Sosa (609). Thome was the most recent of the bunch to enter the club (Aug. 15, 2011) before Pujols did Saturday.

The 37-year-old became the fourth youngest player to hit 600 homers. He reached the feat at 37 years and 138 days. The three others that achieved the milestone at a younger age than Pujols were Rodriguez (35 years and eight days), Ruth (36 years and 196 days) and Aaron (37 years and 81 days).

Pujols hit 445 home runs with the St. Louis Cardinals and 155 with the Angels. Pujols hit his 500th home run with the Angels on April 23, 2014. Here’s a montage of historical home runs throughout Pujols’ career, courtesy of MLB.com.

With his 600th home run, Pujols adds to his already stellar MLB resume. His numbers and awards already boast first-ballot Hall of Fame status. Pujols won Rookie of the Year with the Cardinals in 2001. Other achievements Pujols has accomplished include 10 All-Star appearances, three NL MVP awards, two Gold Gloves, six Silver Sluggers, two World Series victories and a batting title.

Tie all of that in with an impressive career stat line. Pujols sports a .308 batting average, 1,859 RBI, 608 doubles and 2,876 hits. By the end of next season, Pujols should reach 3,000 hits. Only 30 other players have reached the 3,000 hit plateau. The most recent player to do so was Ichiro Suzuki last season.

All of the above supports Pujols’ Hall of Fame case. Four members of the 600 home run club are in the Hall of Fame: Aaron, Ruth, Mays and Griffey Jr. Rodriguez and Thome are not eligible for the Hall of Fame yet, while Bonds and Sosa continue to sit on the ballot. Steroid accusations continue to hinder their chances of making it into the Hall.

Next: Where does Albert Pujols rank all-time?

Pujols now works to pass the other members of the 600 home run club and one day possibly reach the 700 home run club. However, with Pujols aging and his issues with injuries as of late, 700 home runs won’t come easy. Pujols’ contract doesn’t expire until after the 2021 season. If he can stay healthy, he has a shot at 700 or more.