Los Angeles Angels: Albert Pujols in danger of becoming Mickey Mantle

Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols has put together a wonderful career, though a string of years hitting under .300 may cost him the distinction of being a .300 hitter.

Mickey Mantle always considered himself a .300 hitter. He was just that, until he hit a career low .237 his final year, lowering his batting average to .298. The Mick is arguably the best switch hitting power hitter of all time, a16-time All-Star and seven time World Champion. What does it matter if he wasn’t a .300 hitter? To him it did. Now, Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols finds himself in the same predicament.

After ten years hitting at least .300 to begin his career, including a league best .359 in 2003 and .357 in 2008, Pujols has hit below the mark in each of the last ten seasons. He bottomed out in 2020 with a .224 average and now sees his career numbers sit at .299.

Pujols is in the final year of his contract with the Angels, and conceivably could be in his final year of professional baseball. This once dominant hitter is in jeopardy of ending his playing days without being a .300 hitter.

Just as it didn’t matter for Mantle, it won’t matter for Pujols. The ten-time All-Star and three-time Most Valuable Player, has his World Series ring and 662 home runs to his name. The homers rank him fifth on the all time list and he is third on the all time list for runs batted in.

Albert Pujols has put together a pretty impressive career, one which includes Silver Slugger Awards, Gold Gloves, a Rookie of the Year Award, and a membership to the 3000 hit club.

In the big picture, Pujols will end his career being one of the best pure hitters in the history of baseball. A few stat rat baseball types may hang onto the fact he didn’t end his career as a .300 hitter, though this one piece will be lost on his Hall of Fame resume.

However, just like The Mick, the one person this may bother the most may be Pujols himself.