Career Win Probability Added
Again, data accessibility only permits us to measure that portion of the immortals who played all or most of their careers after 1911. That excludes some fascinating names Cobb, Wagner and Lajoie among them.
Among those we can assess, Pujols ranks 13th in career WPA with a score of 71.16. Again, the St. Louis-Anaheim splits are striking: 63.7 in St. Louis, 7.5 in Anaheim.
His best season in Anaheim was 2014, 2.8. His worst season in St. Louis was his Rookie of the Year 2001 season, 4.0.
His closest comparable is Frank Robinson, 73.0. Here’s the top 10.
Rank Player Career WPA
1 Barry Bonds 127.7
2 Babe Ruth 108.7
3 Willie Mays 102.4
4 Ted Williams 101.9
5 Hank Aaron 99.2
6 Mickey Mantle 94.2
7 Lou Gehrig 88.1
8 Stan Musial 84.8
9 Mel Ott 80.2
10 Jimmie Foxx 74.8
Here’s the bottom line: Albert Pujols is an easy fit among the game’s offensive greats. He categorizes as a “peak” rather than “career” performer with ratings that are generally, if not uniformly, higher during the St. Louis portion of his career.
But based on the data there is little doubt that he deserves first ballot Hall of Fame election five years from now. Statistically, the guy was a cross between Willie McCovey, Mike Schmidt, and Frank Robinson, with a hint of Willie Mays thrown in. That’s decidedly plaque-worthy.