St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols has received plenty of attention over the past few weeks.
With the end of his career just a few short weeks away, Pujols has gone on a sprint to the finish line. He is hitting homers at a pace that has not been seen since his first stint in St. Louis, overtaking Alex Rodriguez for fourth all time on the MLB home run list. It is probable that he makes history in the coming days as he is just two home runs away from 700, where he would become the fourth player in major league history to reach that plateau.
St. Louis Cardinals have another countdown with Albert Pujols
That is not the only milestone that Pujols was chasing this season. He became the third player to drive in 2200 runs with his RBI double against Brad Boxberger on September 14. That RBI put him in the company of Babe Ruth and Hank Aaron as the only two players to drive in that many runs.
As with his home run march, the chase is on when it comes to RBI as well. Although Pujols will not catch Aaron and his 2297 RBI, Ruth is within reach. The Bambino finished his illustrious career with 2214 RBI, just 11 more than Pujols has entering Saturday’s slate of action.
It is not certain that Pujols will get there. The Cardinals have 17 games left in the season, barring rainouts. Pujols is not a given to appear in each of those games as the Cardinals are going to want him to be as fresh as possible for the postseason. In the end, taking home a championship and sending Pujols, along with Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright, off with a title is far more important than any milestone.
But it is possible. If Pujols can hit those last two homers he needs, that will bring him at least two more RBI closer. And he will certainly be called upon as a dangerous bat off the bench at the very least, coming up with runners on base in a close game. Maybe, just maybe, he can move Ruth down another rung on the ladder.
Albert Pujols is going to get plenty of attention over the next few weeks. The St. Louis Cardinals legend can make even more history in that time.