Albert Pujols was selected to the National League All-Star roster in what will be his final season in his storied 22-year career. His return to the St. Louis Cardinals after a decade with the Los Angeles Angels, and a stint with the L.A. Dodgers, put a bow on a legendary run for a generational player.
Commissioner Rob Manfred announced that he added both Pujols and Detroit Tigers slugger, Miguel Cabrera to the NL and American League teams as part of a new rule that gives him the ability to add players via special recognition.
Pujols, nicknamed “The Machine,” has slugged 683 home runs in his career, the most all-time by a player who was born outside of the United States. He ranks ninth all-time with 3,326 hits and was a part of two World Series-winning clubs and won three MVPs.
This will be Pujols’ 11th All-Star selection. Both he and Cabrera are two of three players in MLB history to register 3,000 hits, 500 home runs, and 600 doubles, the third is Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.
Pujols and old Angels teammate Mike Trout share the lead among active players with three career Most Valuable Player-winning seasons. Trout is on track to join Pujols in the Midsummer Classic that will be held at Dodger Stadium on July 19.
Pujols is a current nominee for ESPN’s 2022 Muhammad Ali Sports Humanitarian Award for his charitable work, including through the Pujols Family Foundation. His addition to the All-Star roster is a worthy honor for a surefire Hall of Fame player and a world-class person.
Trout and Pujols ranked on ESPN’s all-time top 100
For more than a decade, the Angels were been built around Trout and Pujols. Trout has already cemented himself as the greatest player in Angels history, and is quickly climbing leaderboards to become one of the all-time greats in Major League Baseball.
Pujols, meanwhile, will be remembered more for his days with the St. Louis Cardinals. However, his near 10 seasons with the Angels cannot be overlooked. He set many of his records and crossed many statistical milestones with the Halos.
Both were listed relatively high on ESPN’s recent top 100 players of all time countdown. Trout was the highest-ranked Angel on the list and one of six Angels players — who played at least five seasons with the Halos — to be featured on the list.
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