Some statistical highlights and just-misses in another stellar season for St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols.
Despite sitting out the final game of the Pittsburgh series and taking only three official at-bats in the St. Louis Cardinals’ final two games, first baseman Albert Pujols earned his first National League RBI title with 118 as well as his second consecutive NL home run title with 42.
Albert also led the league with 115 runs scored, 82 extra-base hits and 38 intentional walks. It was his second consecutive season with the most runs scored and fifth overall. Pujols has been the NL leader in intentional walks for three years running and four times in total.
In his tenth season, Pujols also had several disappointments. He finished with a career-low .312 batting average and was edged on the final day by Cincinnati’s Joey Votto for the league lead in slugging percentage, .600 to .596. Also, for the first time in three seasons, Pujols fell short of 40 doubles with 39.
This last number is notable in that with one more double, Pujols would have broken his tie with the immortal Lou Gehrig for the most 40 double-40 home run seasons in MLB history.
40 double, 40 home run seasons, MLB history
| Rank | Player | Years | 1st | Last | Age | |
| 1 | Albert | Pujols | 3 | 2003 | 2009 | 23-29 |
| 2 | Lou | Gehrig | 3 | 1927 | 1934 | 24-31 |
| T3 | David | Ortiz | 2 | 2004 | 2005 | 28-29 |
| T3 | Todd | Helton | 2 | 2000 | 2001 | 26-27 |
| T3 | Albert | Belle | 2 | 1995 | 1998 | 28-31 |
| T3 | Hank | Greenberg | 2 | 1937 | 1940 | 26-29 |
| T3 | Chuck | Klein | 2 | 1929 | 1930 | 24-25 |
| T3 | Babe | Ruth | 2 | 1921 | 1923 | 26-28 |
Albert Pujols, doubles and home runs by season
| 2B | HR | |
| 2001 | 47 | 37 |
| 2002 | 40 | 34 |
| 2003 | 51L | 43 |
| 2004 | 51 | 46 |
| 2005 | 38 | 41 |
| 2006 | 33 | 49 |
| 2007 | 38 | 32 |
| 2008 | 44 | 37 |
| 2009 | 45 | 47L |
| 2010 | 39 | 42L |
| L=led league |
Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for the first table.
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If anyone batting before Albert had gotten on base consistently AP could have had a better season and the team would have benefited more.
Cards should try and fix the leadoff spot.
Westbrooke was the best starting pitcher in MLB during 2010 at inducing ground balls, at about 56%. This is not going to hurt his market price this off season.
The top draft choice of the Cards in 2003, Daric Barton collected the most at bats on the Oakland As roster in 2010. His OPS was in the 790s. He walked more than 100 times which helped his on base percentage, but his slugging percentage was .405, low for 1B.
Another first round 1Bman from 2008 Brett Wallace reached the majors with Houston. His introduction was unspecial, with an OPS of around 615 during his first 144 ML at bats.
So it seems like the Cards did well to move Barton and Wallace in trades. Barton looks to be a little underpowered for 1B, while Wallace may need another year of AAA. Meanwhile Pujols is working out well for the Cards.
A couple of years back, the As outbid the Cards in obtaining Matt Holliday from the Rockies. The Rockies made out well with Carlos Gonzalez who outhit Holliday in 2010.
Jumbo, no matter how hard you try to reshape history, the Barton-Haren-Calero swap for Mulder remains Walt Jocketty’s worst trade ever. Period.
Considering that all three of those players have been more useful post-trade than Mulder was? I would say so.
Ha, I made no comment about Mulder, nor did I even think of him. Shake fists at Mulder, Walt, and Tony all you want.
Tony coveted Mulder’s sinker, like Westbrook’s this summer. TLR is consistent. The Cards aim to supply him with sinkerballers, drafting Mortensen and Lynn.