St Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are back in the playoffs for the fourth straight year.

With Tuesday's win over the Milwaukee Brewers, they wrapped up a first-place finish in the NL Central and clinched a spot in the postseason. It's their first division title since the 2019 season.

Fly birds fly! The @Cardinals are NL Central champs. #CLINCHED pic.twitter.com/e2QdAWn5ao

— MLB (@MLB) September 28, 2022

The Cardinals spent most of the first half of the year trailing the Brewers for the NL Central lead, but the team used a second-half surge to overtake their division rivals. St. Louis had a 22-7 record in August.

The team's 2022 season was highlighted by an MVP-caliber performance by Paul Goldschmidt. He is slashing .317/.404/.584 with 35 home runs and 112 RBI this season.

The All-Star first baseman will be one of the most dangerous hitters in the postseason, and St. Louis should be confident against anyone with him in the middle of its lineup.

Not to be overshadowed by Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado has also put together another strong season. The veteran third baseman is one of St. Louis' most consistent players, batting .295 with 30 home runs and 100 RBI.

But perhaps the most exciting part of the year for the Cardinals has been the final ride for legendary slugger Albert Pujols, who is set to retire at the end of the season.

The 42-year-old has 21 home runs and is now fourth on the all-time list with 700 career homers.

The Cardinals pitching staff, led by Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas, has also been solid, ranking ninth in MLB with a team ERA of 3.76.

The path to the World Series will not be easy in the National League, with fellow contenders such as the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets and defending champion Atlanta Braves standing in the way. But St. Louis should be extra motivated after back-to-back exits in the NL Wild Card Round in the previous two seasons.

The Cardinals are well-equipped to make a run this year, and it will be fun to watch the team as it tries to ensure Pujols ends his career with one more ring.

It was on Friday night at Dodger Stadium, precisely around 8:20 p.m. local time, that Albert Pujols finally ran out of things to prove as a Major League Baseball player. And in so doing, he provided perhaps the last and greatest gift he'll ever give to fans.

This is, of course, unless the 22-year veteran still has one more up his sleeve.

For the time being, Pujols fans the world over have every reason to be in a basking mood. The St. Louis Cardinals' three-time MVP, two-time World Series champion and future first-ballot Hall of Famer is fresh off achieving his most glorious feat yet, going where only three men had ever gone before when he launched his 700th career home run:

Baseball now has a proper Washington-Jefferson-Roosevelt-Lincoln for its Mt. Rushmore of home run hitters. It's just Babe Ruth, Henry Aaron, Barry Bonds and Albert Pujols who have cleared this benchmark, and it's likely to stay that way for a long time.

But as Pujols sees it, he still has one thing to do before he can say he went out on top.

"What I'm chasing right now is another ring," the 42-year-old said on Tuesday. "That's what I'm chasing for the city of St. Louis and for our fans, and that's why I signed back this year."

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700 Was a Dream

Things were different back in 2001. So different, in fact, that the name "Albert Pujols" didn't carry much clout even within the confines of baseball at the outset of the year.

He only checked in as the No. 42 prospect in MLB by Baseball America's reckoning, though the publication did grant that the then-21-year-old had the "approach of a veteran" who figured to "add power as he moves up."

The next thing anyone knew, though, Pujols made the Cardinals on the strength of a red-hot spring. He went just 1-for-9 through his first three games, and then it was off to the proverbial races starting with game No. 4. He went 3-for-5 with his first career home run, setting the pace for one of the most dominant rookie seasons in major league history.

Fast-forward 10 years to the end of the 2011 regular season. By then, Pujols had won three National League MVPs and been an All-Star nine times. His 445 career home runs were the fourth-most for a player through his age-31 season. He was also on his way to winning a second World Series title with the Cardinals after earning his first ring in 2006.

Basically, he was so covered in greatness that it was practically dripping off him. There was not a single knock against the legacy he was writing. Not one. Not even half a one.

Then the next decade happened.

It wasn't all bad. Pujols collected his 500th home run in 2014 and his 600th in 2017. Yet both events occurred against backdrops of rapidly diminishing returns that, combined with his $240 million contract, made him an increasingly awkward presence on the Los Angeles Angels roster.

His release in May 2021 was simultaneously shocking yet arguably overdue. Even his subsequent revival with the Dodgers came paired with just a .299 on-base percentage, dooming him to a below-average OPS+ for a fifth straight year.

The writing was thus on the wall after 2021. Rather than continue to fight a losing battle, retirement was probably the best thing for Pujols.

It's not like he really needed to keep going, after all. His awards and accolades spoke for themselves. He likewise had the most wins above replacement of any first baseman not named Lou Gehrig. And while well short of a nice, round 700, his 679 home runs were the fifth-most in history and the top mark for a player born outside the United States.

If Pujols did come back for one more season, the odds of him getting the 21 home runs he needed to join the 700 home run club were never going to be good. That was four more than he hit as a 41-year-old in 2021 and three more than any right-handed batter had ever hit in his age-42 season.

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Until, Suddenly, 700 Was Reality

And yet, Pujols made the ultimate bet on himself anyway.

Sure, the one-year deal he accepted in March to return to the Cardinals came with minimal risk on their part. Its $2.5 million price tag was a small price to pay for the heartwarming public-relations story of the prodigal son finally returning home to St. Louis.

And if it didn't work out, oh well. The team had just proved by buying out Matt Carpenter and Carlos Martínez that it could afford to swallow $2.5 million.

For Pujols, though, the prospect of an ignominious end was very much there. This was no two-bit pretender he had signed with but a proper contender in the National League. If its 42-year-old designated hitter didn't hit, well, what then?

Even now, you don't have to go back that far to find this question looming ever larger.

Pujols had initially fanned the good-vibe flames by going 7-for-18 with two home runs out of the gate in April, but his next 42 appearances saw him go just 18-for-108 with two long balls. By July 9, an all-too-familiar story had unfolded: Albert Pujols, Bad Major League Hitter.

In the days and weeks that have come since then, Pujols would have been unrecognizable if he wasn't so easily recognizable as Vintage Albert Pujols.

In 55 games dating back to July 10, Pujols clubbed 17 home runs—which aren't counting the dozens he hit during a delightful and, in retrospect, oddly prophetic turn in the Home Run Derby—and hit .315/.375/.673 overall. Per his 191 wRC+, he's been baseball's hottest hitter this side of Aaron Judge.

The effect is that of a hitter who looks nothing like the guy who was thoroughly out of gas between the ages of 37 and 41. There's now just two hitters who have ever clubbed upwards of 20 homers with an OPS+ over 140 at this age: Bonds in 2007 and Pujols this year.

So much for the dreary and unsuccessful slog toward 700 that anyone could have anticipated from Pujols this year. Even as it stands right now, this is one of the greatest final acts that any player has ever authored. And in the context of what came before it, maybe the most redemptive to boot.

Pujols' final act would have been imprinted on many a memory even if he had stopped at, say, 695, 696, 697, 698 or even 699 home runs. But to get to 700 is to achieve a whole 'nother level of memory imprint. When a guy gets that far, he's assured that even casual fans will be able to recite how many home runs he hit without even having to look it up.

Bonds? 762. Aaron? 755. Ruth? 714. Pujols? 700...and counting.

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And There's Still the Playoffs

If it's a ring that Pujols really wants, he must merely keep doing what he's been doing.

Whereas the worst fear of Pujols holding back an otherwise strong Cardinals team had more or less been coming true, the script has completely flipped since his bat caught fire. At 44-21, the Redbirds have won more games since July 10 than every team except the Dodgers and Houston Astros.

What was a 3.5-game deficit to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central title is now a 6.5-game lead. And according to FanGraphs, what was a 2.7 percent chance of returning to the World Series for the first time since 2013 has now more than doubled to 6.5 percent.

Though nobody would call Pujols a secret weapon at this point, the Cardinals will be especially well positioned to go far in the playoffs if he continues carrying out his specialty of crushing left-handed pitching. He's hit .354 with a .762 slugging percentage for the year and bumped those figures up to .414 and 1.017, respectively, since July 10.

A handful of prominent National League hurlers should consider themselves warned. Not to name names, but...ahem, Clayton Kershaw, Julio Urías, Max Fried, Blake Snell and Ranger Suárez.

Should Pujols successfully lead the Cardinals to the franchise's 12th World Series championship, he'll find himself with three rings to match his three MVPs. It's not quite as exclusive as the 700 Home Run Club, but right now, the Three-Ring, Three-MVP Club has only four members: Joe DiMaggio, Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle and Stan Musial.

If "What's on top of going out 'on top?'" is the question anyone is asking, there's your answer in theory. All Pujols has to do now is provide it for real.

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Stats courtesy of Baseball Reference, FanGraphs and Baseball Savant.

St. Louis Cardinals icon Albert Pujols said he's not concerned about trying to recover his 700th home run ball from the fan who caught it in the left field bleachers at Dodger Stadium on Friday night.

"Souvenirs are for the fans," Pujols told reporters. "If they wanna keep it, they can. At the end of the day, I don't focus on material stuff. I think I have the bat, the uniform, helmet, things that are special to me. At the end of the day, I think that's why the fans come here—to have a special moment of history. So if they wanna keep that baseball, I don't have any problem with that."

The future Hall of Famer hit two homers in the Cards' 11-0 win over the Dodgers, one in the third inning (No. 699) and then the milestone longball in the fourth.

Mr. 700, #AlbertPujols! pic.twitter.com/ccQ4DQcXV0

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 24, 2022

Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported the fan who caught No. 700 had the ball authenticated before leaving the stadium. He was presented with offers by the Cardinals but decided to keep it, at least for now, per Fox Sports' Ben Verlander.

In 2005, Barry Bonds' 700th homer was sold at auction for $85,000, which is equivalent of just under $129,000 today when factoring for inflation.

Brandon Steiner, the founder of Steiner Sports Memorabilia, told Fox Business' Ryan Morik on Thursday he'd expect a sale price around the low six figures if Pujols' ball hits the block.

"I think it's a solid ball. Somebody in St. Louis could be more excited about that than necessarily nationwide ... I think it's a $100,000 ball, probably my guess," Steiner said.

Pujols became just the fourth player in MLB history to reach the 700-homer mark, joining Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).

Meanwhile, a similar story will play out if New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge eventually reaches 62 home runs this season to set the new American league record. He currently has 60.

SCP Auctions' David Kohler told TMZ Sports on Wednesday the record-setting ball could go for over $500,000 and Judge's last homer of the season, if he goes beyond 62, could reach or exceed $1 million in auction value.

It's created some concern about fan safety, after a battle for Judge's 60th homer was caught on video, but there were no issues following Pujols' 700th in L.A. on Friday night.

St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols called hitting his 700th home run "pretty special" but said he won't focus too much on his individual accomplishments until retirement.

Pujols, who became the fourth player in MLB history to reach the 700-homer plateau Friday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers, discussed his career-long mindset after the Cards' 11-0 win.

"Look, don't get me wrong, I know what my place is in this game. But since Day 1, when I made my debut, it was never about numbers, it was never about chasing numbers," Pujols told reporters. "It was always about winning championships and trying to get better in this game. And I had so many people that taught me the right way early in my career, and that's how I've carried myself for 22 years that I've been in the big leagues. That's why I really don't focus on the numbers. I will one day, but not right now."

The 42-year-old Dominican Republic native earned his nickname, "The Machine," in part because of his effortless and often emotionless dominance over the past two decades. So it was unique to see him show immense joy as he trotted around the bases after No. 700.

Mr. 700, #AlbertPujols! pic.twitter.com/ccQ4DQcXV0

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 24, 2022

Pujols, who's set to retire at season's end, is still keeping his eyes on adding a few more accolades to a résumé that has already made him a first-ballot lock for the Hall of Fame before he hangs up his cleats for good, though.

He's already an 11-time All-Star, three-time National League MVP, two-time World Series champion and two-time Gold Glove Award winner. He also captured the NL Rookie of the Year Award in 2001.

The slugger will have a chance to add another World Series title as the Cardinals will soon clinch a berth in the 2022 MLB playoffs, likely as the NL Central champions.

Pujols' return to near-peak form since the All-Star break is a major reason St. Louis has emerged as a legitimate championship contender. It's no surprise he had a little pop left in his bat, but he's exceeded expectations down the stretch.

His 1.076 OPS in the second half ranks second among all MLB hitters with at least 100 plate appearances, behind only the New York Yankees' Aaron Judge, per FanGraphs.

It's been a glimpse into his past when he was one of the toughest outs in baseball for nearly 15 years, and the Cards will hope he can ride that hot streak right through the postseason.

Regardless of how his final season turns out, Pujols will have a lot to enjoy whenever he finally sits back to digest the incredible numbers he's posted throughout his career.

An April prediction from MLB Network host Greg Amsinger about Albert Pujols went viral Friday night after the St. Louis Cardinals legend hit his 700th career home run.

Not only did Amsinger correctly forecast Pujols would reach No. 700, which seemed unlikely at the start of the season because of a lack of projected playing time, but he also guessed when and where the milestone blast would take place:

"He's going to hit his 700th career home run on the road. Friday night in Los Angeles in September..." - Greg Amsinger on April 13th, 2022

Is this the greatest sports prediction of all time?@Cardinals | @PujolsFive | #STLCards | #Pujols700 pic.twitter.com/HyQlMf9oCw

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 24, 2022

The one thing Amsinger didn't get right was the opposing pitcher, as Phil Bickford was on the mound for the Los Angeles Dodgers as Pujols made history, not Clayton Kershaw.

Mr. 700, #AlbertPujols! pic.twitter.com/ccQ4DQcXV0

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) September 24, 2022

It took a special night for the prediction to come to fruition, too. The Cardinals slugger entered the night with 698 homers and hit two Friday night in L.A., one in the third inning and another in the fourth as St. Louis cruised to an 11-0 win.

Amsinger also happens to be a St. Louis native, adding a unique layer to one of the best sports predictions you'll ever hear.

Meanwhile, Pujols became just the fourth player in MLB history to reach 700 home runs, joining Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).

"It's pretty special," Pujols told reporters. "When it's really gonna hit me is when I'm done, at the end of the season, when I'm retired, and probably a moment or two after that I can look at the numbers."

With the future Hall of Famer's quest complete, it leaves one home run chase left for the season's final stages: the New York Yankees Aaron Judge, who has tallied 60 longballs this season, trying to reach 62 to set the new American League record.

Judge and the Yankees are back in action Saturday afternoon against the rival Boston Red Sox. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m. ET at Yankee Stadium.

No word on whether Amsinger has any prophetic Judge predictions in the can.

St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols became just the fourth player in MLB history to hit 700 career home runs after smacking a pair of long balls against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday.

Pujols' first blast was a two-run shot off starting pitcher Andrew Heaney in the third inning to give the Redbirds a 2-0 lead.

No doubt about number 699 for #AlbertPujols! pic.twitter.com/2Ns3ueuzcn

— MLB (@MLB) September 24, 2022

One inning later, the 22-year MLB veteran deposited a Phil Bickford pitch over the wall for a three-run bomb that put the Cardinals up 5-0.

The moment Albert Pujols joined the 700 Home Run Club!

(via @MLB)pic.twitter.com/RLUAg9pgNA

— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) September 24, 2022

Pujols has now joined the exclusive 700-homer club, which consists of Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).

The 42-year-old Pujols, who is retiring after this season, has enjoyed a phenomenal closing act to a Hall of Fame career.

The three-time National League MVP and 11-time All-Star entered Friday with 19 home runs, 53 RBI and an .845 OPS in 100 games.

He has notably mashed left-handed pitching all year to the tune of 12 homers, 28 RBI, a .352 batting average and 1.144 OPS before Friday's road game in L.A.

Pujols insists that this is his last year in the bigs, even though he's enjoying a fantastic season and would realistically have a chance at passing Ruth on the home run list in 2023.

"I'm still going to retire, no matter whether I end up hitting 693, 696, 700, whatever," Pujols told Bob Nightengale of USA Today last month.

"I don't get caught up in numbers. If you were going to tell me 22 years ago that I would be this close, I would have told you that you're freakin' crazy. My career has been amazing."

Pujols did end up hitting the 700-homer mark, and he has 10 more regular-season games after Friday to pad his career total. The Cards have two more matchups with the Dodgers before a pair against the Milwaukee Brewers and six more games versus the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Pujols dominated over the first 10 years of his career, all of which came with the Cardinals. He sported a 162-game average of 41 home runs and 123 RBI and batted .331 alongside a 1.050 OPS from 2001-2010.

Pujols spent the 2011 season with St. Louis but left in free agency for the Los Angeles Angels in 2012.

He didn't enjoy the same success out west, but the first baseman stayed productive through the back half of his career (including a 2015 All-Star appearance) and found his way back home to St. Louis for one of the greatest closing acts in baseball history.

But the book on Pujols' career isn't closed just yet.

The two-time World Series champion should also have one final postseason act as well, as St. Louis currently holds a seven-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central crown. The Cardinals appear destined for the National League's No. 3 seed, and Pujols' power certainly gives St. Louis a shot at winning its 12th World Series.

Albert Pujols' odds of reaching 700 career home runs keep getting better.

The St. Louis Cardinals slugger hit his 698th homer in the sixth inning of Friday's game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Albert Pujols comes in CLUTCH with No. 6️⃣9️⃣8️⃣!!!

TV: Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: https://t.co/VcFMyD4kpR#STLCards pic.twitter.com/Lv3mP8hx2I

— FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (@FanDuelSN_MW) September 17, 2022

Pujols is only two homers away from joining Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) as the only players in MLB history with at least 700. He moved into sole possession of fourth place on MLB's all-time home run list with 697 on Sunday with a go-ahead two-run blast in the ninth inning versus the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Bonds was the most recent player to join the 700-homer club. He reached the milestone on Sept. 16, 2004, in a 4-1 win over the San Diego Padres.

Friday marks the Cardinals' 145th game of the regular season. They will play 17 more games before the season comes to an end Oct. 5.

The game-tying two-run shot against the Reds was Pujols' 19th in 2022. It's his most in a single season since 2019 when he hit 23 for the Los Angeles Angels.

Pujols' longest home run drought this season lasted 25 games from May 23 to July 9. Friday was his 13th homer in 41 games since the All-Star break.

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery, who was traded from the New York Yankees to the Redbirds in August, went on the R2C2 podcast and explained the difficulties of pitching for the Yankees.

We had to get @GumbyNation34’s raw reaction to the Yankees trade and how unleashing his fastball has led to early domination with the Cardinals. Full episode is live! 📺🎧 pic.twitter.com/0a4lt9d4gc

— R2C2 (@R2C2) September 8, 2022

"I was always worried about getting booed off the mound in New York," Montgomery told ex-Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia and broadcaster Ryan Ruocco, per Justin Tasch of the New York Post.

"The pinstripes are heavy. Not everyone can handle it. I feel like I handled it OK. I could’ve been better, but there was a lot of things going into that I guess. But here [in St. Louis], I’m just being myself and pitching the way I want to. I guess the fans have kind of embraced me so far."

Montgomery is thriving in St. Louis, going 5-0 with a 1.45 ERA and 0.90 WHIP through seven starts.

His outings include a one-hitter against the Chicago Cubs and five shutout innings in a 1-0 win over his old team. Montgomery has allowed one run or fewer in six of seven starts.

The left-hander, who played at USC, may have turned into a bona fide All-Star in St. Louis. However, he did well in pinstripes, going 22-20 with a 3.94 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in five-plus seasons.

Montgomery had a 3.69 ERA and 1.10 WHIP for the Yanks this year before being moved to the Cardinals in a deal that sent outfielder Harrison Bader to New York.

Still, Montgomery is much-improved in St. Louis, and he credits increased faith in his fastball as one of the reasons.

"I didn’t really have much faith in my heater at the Yankees," Montgomery said.

"I had been told that it wasn’t that good compared to my other pitches and if I was gonna get hit, it was gonna be on a curveball or changeup, which isn’t how you can pitch."

However, renewed confidence in his heater has led to more options when facing a hitter, specifically with two strikes.

"So if I got two strikes on a guy, he was probably auto-taking because I was gonna throw a curveball or a changeup. He was trying to just foul a changeup off or see a curveball down. I’m throwing my fastball in two-strike counts, I’m throwing anything in any count now, so it’s definitely opened up."

New York's loss has ultimately been St. Louis' gain, as the Cardinals have gone 7-0 in Montgomery's starts. Thanks in part to his efforts, the 83-58 NL Central leaders have an eight-game lead on the second-place Milwaukee Brewers.

The Cardinals appear well-positioned to succeed in the playoffs with a powerful lineup led by Triple Crown candidate Paul Goldschmidt, a rotation buoyed by Montgomery, Adam Wainwright and Miles Mikolas and a bullpen backed by closer Ryan Helsley.

Montgomery's next turn on the hill will occur Tuesday at home against Milwaukee.

Albert Pujols is officially in sole possession of fourth place on Major League Baseball's all-time home run list, surpassing former New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez with 697 blasts in his historic career.

The St. Louis Cardinals veteran hit his 697th home run in the top of the ninth inning of Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. It gave St. Louis a 3-2 lead.

ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE! Albert Pujols puts the Cardinals on top in the ninth with No. 697!!!!!!

TV: Bally Sports Midwest
Stream: https://t.co/IJsMg5oWQe#STLCards pic.twitter.com/DrvPAJ25dE

— FanDuel Sports Network Midwest (@FanDuelSN_MW) September 11, 2022

697! @PujolsFive just passed Alex Rodriguez for 4th on the all-time HR list. 🐐 pic.twitter.com/2T7YCN50Sm

— MLB (@MLB) September 11, 2022

At 42 years old, Pujols is in the midst of an impressive season. He entered Sunday's game hitting .266/.339/.520 with 17 home runs and 46 RBI through 89 games.

It marks quite the turnaround for the Dominican, who had a rough 2021 campaign split between the Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers.

After hitting .198/250/.372 with five home runs and 12 RBI in 24 games, Pujols was designated for assignment by the Angels in May 2021. The Dodgers signed him to a one-year deal once he cleared waivers.

In 85 games with the Blue Crew, Pujols hit .254/.299/.460 with 12 home runs and 38 RBI.

In March 2022, Pujols agreed to a one-year deal to return to the Cardinals. At the time, he announced that the 2022 campaign would be his final season in baseball.

Pujols began his career with the Cardinals in 2001, earning nine All-Star selections, three MVP awards, six Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, one batting title and two World Series titles.

The future Hall of Famer slashed .328/.421/.617 with 445 home runs and 1,329 RBI in 1,705 games in his first stint with the franchise.

Before the 2012 season, Pujols signed a 10-year, $254 million contract with the Angels. He spent nine and a half seasons in Anaheim from 2012-21, slashing .256/.311/.447 with 222 home runs and 783 RBI in 1,181 games.

Finishing his career with the Cardinals, and hitting his 697th home run as a member of the franchise, is a full-circle moment for Pujols. If he can join the 700 home run club before he hangs up the cleats, he'll be just one of four players to do so, joining Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth.

Albert Pujols has added another milestone to his historic career after tying Alex Rodriguez on Major League Baseball's all-time home run list.

The St. Louis Cardinals slugger hit his 696th homer in the top of the sixth inning of Saturday's game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Home run No. 696 for Albert Pujols pic.twitter.com/NbVhGyJ1cX

— Casey Drottar (@CDrottar19) September 11, 2022

HISTORY for @PujolsFive!

He is now tied with Alex Rodriguez for 4th on the all-time HR list with 696. pic.twitter.com/gtKNlJEv6Z

— MLB (@MLB) September 11, 2022

After spending the past several seasons looking like a shell of his former self, Pujols has been rejuvenated since signing a one-year deal to return to St. Louis in March.

It looked like any chance of the 42-year-old being a positive contributor in the big leagues was over entering 2022. He was designated for assignment by the Los Angeles Angels in May 2021 after hitting .242/.291/.406 in 436 games with them from 2017-20.

The Los Angeles Dodgers gave Pujols a one-year deal after he cleared waivers. He showed good power with 12 homers and a .460 slugging percentage, primarily as a pinch hitter in 85 games.

Upon signing with the Cardinals as a free agent, Pujols also announced the 2022 season would be his last.

“This is it for me. This is my last run.” — Albert Pujols says about 2022 with #stlcards pic.twitter.com/heoHgqoFUD

— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) March 28, 2022

In all likelihood, the 11-time All-Star will finish his career as the fourth-most prolific home run hitter in MLB history. Babe Ruth sits at No. 3 with 714 homers.

Expectations for Pujols in St. Louis were understandably muted. His return to the franchise where he became a superstar made for a nice story, but there was no indication it would be more than a chance for Cardinals fans to give him a final sendoff before retirement.

Instead of merely taking a final lap around the big leagues, he discovered the fountain of youth. He isn't back to his peak form when he finished in the top 10 of NL MVP voting in each of his first 11 seasons, but few expected this from a 42-year-old designated hitter.

Pujols entered Saturday's game hitting .258/.333/.500 with 16 homers and 43 RBI over 244 at-bats. He is on pace to post his highest batting average since 2012 (.285), highest on-base percentage and slugging percentage since 2011 (.366/.541).

The secret to his success in 2022 has been torching left-handed pitching. He ranks second in MLB in OPS (1.180) against southpaws, trailing Cardinals teammate Paul Goldschmidt (1.379).

Entering Saturday's game, Pujols has also been one of the best hitters in MLB since the All-Star break. The three-time NL MVP has a .326/.387/.695 slash line and 10 homers in 95 at-bats.

His surge has coincided with the Cardinals taking control of the NL Central. They have gone 31-14 since the All-Star break to open up an 8.0-game lead over the Milwaukee Brewers.

It seems likely Pujols will have one final opportunity to win a third World Series title with the Cardinals. He previously helped the franchise win championships in 2006 and 2011.