He's not putting up monster number this year but still he's average is still above 320 avg./ 30+ HRs./ sittin on 95 RBIs, hopefully he'll get 100+. Not to mention he's been playing hurt for most of the year. If he had baserunners getting on before him or protection after him he'd have better numbers.
2007-09-18 06:44:28 · 23 answers · asked by free 2 in Sports ➔ Baseball
Albert Pujols is an incredible hitter, no doubt about it. He is off to the fastest start of any hitter to ever play the game. He is the only guy to hit 30 HRs and drive in 100 runs in each of his first six seasons, soon to be seven. His career low in batting average is .314. His career low in OBP is .394. His lowest slugging percentage is .560 (this year, and it isn't over yet).
Aside from his rookie year, his career high in strikeouts is 69. He has never hit less than 34 HRs in a season, and his career low in RBIs is 117. He has led the league in runs scored 3 times, all of which were consecutively. In 2005, he stole 16 bases and was caught twice. His career OPS as of September 18 was 1.038. He has 586 career walks and only 450 strikeouts.
It doesn't stop there. I could write a book about how amazing Albert Pujols' career has been, and he is only in his seventh season. Since he joined the St. Louis Cardinals, in 2001, they have gone 633-487. In other words, they have won 56.5% of their games.
Albert Pujols might not quite be the greatest baseball player right now, but I can say without a doubt that he will be at the end of his career, or maybe even in 5 or six years.
2007-09-18 07:24:20 · answer #1 · answered by Jaspee✈ 4 · 3⤊ 2⤋
Pujols is a great hitter and, if he keeps up this pace, is a sure fire Hall of Famer. But the best ever? No way. That distinction belongs to the one and only Babe Ruth. When all is said and done Pujols may be in the top 10 or 15, but he's got to keep up his numbers for at least another 6 or 7 seasons.
To TedEx:
I think you meant Aaron never hit 50 in a season. He hit 40+ 8 times.
2007-09-18 15:12:31 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 2⤋
What are you, 12 years old? Rogers Hornsby was a better hitter. So was Stan Musial. And that's just from Cardinal history. And there will never be a better hitter than Babe Ruth, who batted .342 lifetime and had years where he outhomered TEAMS -- imagine a guy now hitting 200 home runs and you'd have the same impact -- without steroids.
Give Pujols all the credit he deserves, but understand that there was baseball before you were old enough to watch it.
2007-09-18 14:29:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
A great hitter, yes. But using just rate/percentatge numbers, he is #9 in OPS+, #21 in OBP, #4 in SLG...all good.
None are number one.
Ruth and Williams are both still ahead of him without any reasonable doubt for non-partisans.
He could end up as the best. But if he retired tomorrow, not a chance.
2007-09-18 15:43:34 · answer #4 · answered by Bucky 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well, as far as being the best hitter, we both know that these are arguable statements and can be debated forever.
Albert Pujols is a great hitter. He hits for power, average and RBI's. There are many more powerful hitters in the majors currently: Alex Rodriguez, Prince Fielder, Ryan Howard, Jim Thome, David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, and many more others.
In my best opinion, to pick up a best hitter in the majors can always be debated. But to pick up a best hitter - from the best winning team record, most team wins, as well as the number of World Series the team has won with that hitter is far more greater look than anything else!
2007-09-18 14:02:30 · answer #5 · answered by Coconut Guy 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Certainly one of the best of the modern era at least and looks to be a sure Hall of Famer. Ty Cobb's lifetime .366 or .367 or whichever one you want to believe is unreachable and Ted Williams and Babe Ruth are easily two of the greatest sluggers with high batting averqages of .344 and .342 respectively. Albert is no doubt a trememndous ballplayer and I have a lot of respect for his talent.
2007-09-18 16:43:24 · answer #6 · answered by toughguy2 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He's the greatest for the first 7 years of a career. If he can keep it up for another 8-13, he should shatter every record known to mankind! Just like Griffey, injuries is the only thing that can stop him from being the best ever.
2007-09-18 16:51:01 · answer #7 · answered by pricehillsaint 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Much too soon to tell.
But let me give you something to think about. Henry Aaron never hit 40 home runs a in a season, but ended up withover 700 for his career. That's a LOT of years with over 40 HR's. That's Consistency!!!!
Albert is one teriffic player, but one of the greats of all time?.Not yet.
.
2007-09-18 14:43:53 · answer #8 · answered by TedEx 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
um Ted Williams wrote the book on hitting, yes pun intended. ask anyone in baseball who ever talked with Ted or saw him play, they all agree he's the best ever. albert is a great hitter though, not to take anything away from him, he's just not the best ever
2007-09-18 14:38:03 · answer #9 · answered by jesus 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being the best ever you have to consider longevity not just individual or handful of years.
Look at Eric Gange, he was lights out, but he pitched in a way that was too hard on his body to sustain.
2007-09-18 15:22:46 · answer #10 · answered by bourgoise_10o 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋