Camila Sosa
The legend returns home for what will be his last MLB campaign: Three-time MVP winner and two-time world champion Albert Pujols will return with the team of his greatest successes for the rest of the 2022 season, the St. Louis Cardinals.
Selected in the 1999 draft in the 13th round, the Cardinals accompanied the Dominican all the way from his debut in 2001, where he became rookie of the year after a spectacular performance, until his entry into free agency in 2012. Now he will close his career within the big leagues with the same uniform that started it.
Last night the return of the first baseman to the St. Louis was confirmed, but minutes ago he himself confirmed in a press conference that this will be his last harvest as a professional in the MLB, closing his career in 22 total seasons. Pujols’ deal will be for just one year and will be worth $2.5 M, giving him the opportunity to say goodbye to his career with the club where he became one of the best hitters in the 21st century and among the best in history.
He coincides in turn with his eternal partner, Yadier Molina, since the receiver will also have his last season as a professional in 2022 (and who has also been part of the team all his career, since his debut in 2004).
The 42-year-old Albert shared the 2021 campaign between the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers, posting a .236/.284/.433 line with 17 home runs, 50 RBIs and 29 scored in a total of 109 games played.
Albert Pujols’ Legacy with the St. Louis Cardinals
Very little remains to prove to Pujols, having three Most Valuable Player awards, two World Series rings (all won with the Cardinals), 10 All-Star Game selections, two Gold Gloves and six Silver Slugger awards. In turn, he is one of the hitters with the most home runs (679), RBIs (2150) and unstoppable (3301) in the history of major league baseball, and if he gets 21 home runs in 2022, he would be only the fourth batter to reach the 700 mark in his career.
Along with Stan Musial, there have been no hitters as influential and decisive as Pujols in the history of the St. Louis, making it to the postseason seven times in the 11 seasons they played together, and having so far .328/.420/.617, 455 home runs, 1329 walks, 1291 runs scored, 2047 unstoppable.
With the implementation of the designated hitter in the National League, St. Louis will have more opportunities to implement Pujols in the lineup at present, but he still has not been assured to be an undisputed starter so far. He would see a good amount of at-bats, but he would rotate positions with Corey Dickerson, Lars Nootbaar, and Juan Yepez.
With new Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol, they will look to maximize their chances of making the playoffs, after falling short in 2021 losing the National League wild-card game to the Los Angeles Dodgers leaving a record of 90-72 in the regular part.
For both, Albert and Molina, the last campaign of their careers will have a great end, as they will be representatives of the Latino talent that has been present in elite baseball for decades, and will undoubtedly mark a new stage for the St. Louis Cardinals in their history.
