Former Los Angeles Angels first baseman, Albert Pujols announced his plans to retire following the conclusion of the 2022 season. So when the St. Louis Cardinals were eliminated in the National League Wild Card round, his final playoff run came to an end.
Players from around the league and from his former teams sent him messages of good luck in retirement, and Mike Trout joined in, posting a heartfelt video on social media.
Pujols spent 10 seasons with the Angels, slugging 222 of his 703 career home runs while with the team. After leaving the Cardinals for his first stint, Arte Moreno courted the surefire Hall of Famer and paired him up with Mike Trout, who is also destined for Cooperstown.
Although the two never made their presence felt in Major League Baseball in terms of playoff dominance, it doesn’t discount their sure star power when slotted in the same lineup. Trout bid farewell to his former teammate via Instagram and wished him the best.
Over the course of his 22-year career, Pujols posted a career on-base plus slugging of .918 and logged 3384 hits with 2218 RBI. His time with the Angels didn’t come to a ceremonious ending as he was released last season, but his impact on the franchise is set in stone.
Albert Pujols slugged record homers against Dodgers
Pujols hit home runs No. 699 and No. 700 just a few innings apart in an 11-0 win over the Dodgers. He becomes just the fourth player in the history of Major League Baseball to reach the rarified 700-club, a feat that might not be seen for quite some time.
In what is said to be his final season, Pujols reached the historic mark with games to spare. With Babe Ruth sitting at 714 all-time, ‘The Machine’ parked it at No. 4 on the all-time home run leaderboard, finishing with 703.