How significant is Pujols' 2K RBI feat?
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Albert Pujols made history Thursday when he drove in the 2,000th run of his career on a third-inning solo homer against the Tigers. Pujols is now the third member of baseball’s exclusive 2,000-RBI club according to the Elias Sports Bureau -- Major League Baseball’s official statistician -- joining Hank Aaron (2,297) and Alex Rodriguez (2,086).
Considering that more than 19,000 players (and counting) have suited up in the Major Leagues, Pujols’ entrance into this group of three is truly an achievement worth celebrating. Here are some facts you should know about Prince Albert’s path to 2,000 RBIs:
• Pujols’ first RBI was a two-run homer for the Cardinals off D-backs right-hander Armando Reynoso on April 6, 2001. That was the fourth game of Pujols’ career, after he went 1-for-9 over St. Louis’ first three games in Colorado. His next RBI milestones were as follows:
500th RBI: Single vs. Chris Gissell (Rockies), Sept. 26, 2004
1,000th RBI: Grand slam vs. David Patton (Cubs), April 25, 2009
1,500th RBI: Two-run homer vs. James Paxton (Mariners), April 8, 2014
• Pujols went on to drive in an incredible 130 runs in his first year with St. Louis, the fifth-highest total for any rookie behind Ted Williams (145), Walt Dropo (144), Hal Trosky (142) and Dale Alexander (137).
• Cardinals fans would enjoy more of the same from Pujols for the next decade. His 1,329 RBIs with St. Louis ranks second in franchise history behind the great Stan Musial (1,951), and his 671 RBIs with the Angels already rank fourth in that franchise’s history, although Mike Trout (668) is neck and neck with him.
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• As a Cardinal, Pujols became just the second player in history, after Hall of Famer Al Simmons, to rack up 100-plus RBIs in each of his first 10 Major League seasons. Pujols’ 1,230 RBIs through his first 10 seasons rank as the fourth-highest total in MLB history, behind only Joe DiMaggio (1,277), Simmons (1,276) and Williams (1,261).
• It may surprise you to learn that Pujols has only led his league in RBIs once (118 in 2010), and he has never reached 140 RBIs in a season, topping out at 137 in ‘06. On the other hand, his 14 seasons with at least 100 RBIs is tied with Rodriguez for the MLB record, and his 16 campaigns of 90-plus RBIs is tied with Aaron atop the all-time list.
• Pujols and Trout have proven to be a powerful pair in the heart of the Halos’ order, and that shows in Pujols’ career totals. He’s driven in Trout 182 times since coming to Anaheim in 2012, which is nearly 100 more times than any other teammate in his career, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Pujols’ former Cards teammate, Skip Schumaker (driven in 85 times by Pujols), ranks second on that list.
• Pujols has recorded an RBI against eight pitchers who are in the Hall of Fame, led by his 13 off Randy Johnson, who surrendered a .458/.500/1.208 slash line in their 26 confrontations. The other Cooperstown members to serve up at least one RBI to Pujols are Tom Glavine, Roy Halladay, Trevor Hoffman, Greg Maddux, Pedro Martinez, Mike Mussina and John Smoltz.
• Who did Pujols terrorize the most? Looking at just RBIs in the regular season, that would be Ryan Dempster, a right-hander who faced Pujols in many Cardinals-Cubs battles. Pujols had 17 RBIs in 62 career at-bats against Dempster, while posting a 1.262 OPS.
• Among active pitchers, Kendall Graveman and Cole Hamels have allowed the most RBIs to Pujols, with 12 apiece.
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• Pujols’ 2,000 RBIs include 27 from 21 walk-off plate appearances. Among them are 12 home runs -- tied for the second most in MLB history -- although 10 of those came before Pujols moved from the Cardinals to the Angels in 2012.
• Pujols has done his most RBI damage against the Astros, with 156. That included RBI No. 1,999, which came courtesy of a solo homer off Astros pitcher Wade Miley last Saturday. Houston, of course, was with Pujols in the National League Central for his entire run with the Cards. One year after Pujols left for Southern California, the Astros moved with him, joining the American League West in 2013.
• Pujols has driven home a run in 39 ballparks, with more than 300 apiece at both the current Busch Stadium (356), the previous Busch Stadium (325), and Angel Stadium (316). His most RBIs at any stadium he hasn’t called home is 95, at Pittsburgh’s PNC Park, where he has a career .376/.453/.717 line.
• Pujols' single-game high for RBIs is seven, which he did twice with the Cardinals, on Aug. 22, 2006 (Mets) and April 11, 2009 (Astros). He has produced at least four RBIs in a game 71 times, tying him with Ted Williams for ninth most in baseball history.
• Pujols has gotten a lot of chances to drive in runs over the years, but he also has made the most of them. Entering Thursday, he was tied for fifth in slugging percentage (.569) and was sixth in OPS (1.002) out of the 174 hitters with at least 2,000 plate appearances with runners in scoring position since 1974 (the earliest year for which there is complete data).
• While they don’t count for his career total, Pujols also owns the second- and fourth-highest single-year postseason RBI totals in Cards history (16 in 2011, 14 in '04). Only David Freese (21 in '11) has driven in more.
Pujols’ 54 career postseason RBIs place him sixth on the all-time list.