Jul 18, 2022; Los Angeles, CA, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols (5) reacts after his at-bat in the second round during the 2022 Home Run Derby at Dodgers Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
St. Louis Cardinals veteran Albert Pujols is having a memorable end to his career, which may include breaking one Barry Bonds’ home run record.
St. Louis Cardinals veteran Albert Pujols is ending his career after this season, and he’s breaking many records in his final run with St. Louis. He’s on his way to breaking one of MLB legend Barry Bonds’ many home run records, which included homers off of 449 different pitchers.
Pujols just hit his 687th home run off Colorado Rockies pitcher Austin Gomber, which marked the 448th pitcher he’s homered off of. The 42-year-old slugger is past his prime, but he’s faced many pitchers across both the National League and American League.
He played 10 consecutive seasons for the AL before returning to the NL this season, so his return will expose him to many new pitchers that’ll make it likely for him to beat Bonds’ mark.
Bonds didn’t make breaking his records an easy feat. He had a lot of success over 22 seasons, which earned him eight Gold Glove awards and 12 Silver Slugger awards, among many others.
Cardinals Albert Pujols’ overtaking Barry Bonds’ records would be historic
Bonds holds several home run records and is well-known for them. Most of his records seemed untouchable to many, so overtaking the slugger who saw three decades in his MLB career would be a huge feat.
If anyone can do it, it will be Pujols because of his lengthy career and early success. Pujols has also played 22 seasons in MLB, which is much longer than most players. His production of homers has slowed down in the latter half of his career, but he’s still producing some and only needs two more to set a new record.
Pujols has the ability to break Bonds’ record, and it’s highly likely he will by the end of the season.