If you were sitting in the stands at Busch Stadium back in April 2022, you probably thought you were just there for a retirement tour. A nice, sentimental wave goodbye. We all did. When Albert Pujols on Cardinals jerseys became a thing again after eleven years in California, it felt like a marketing masterstroke more than a baseball move.
The guy was 42. He had looked, honestly, pretty cooked during his final years with the Angels. But baseball has a funny way of making experts look like idiots. What started as a "farewell lap" turned into one of the most statistically improbable and emotionally draining seasons in the history of the sport.
The Return Nobody Saw Coming (Until It Happened)
Let’s be real: the breakup in 2011 was messy. When Pujols signed that massive 10-year, $240 million deal with the Angels, St. Louis felt jilted. There was this lingering sense of "what if" that followed him for a decade. Then came the 2021 release from the Angels and a weird, brief stint with the Dodgers where he basically became the world’s most overqualified pinch-hitter.
Then, the lockout ended in early 2022, and the rumors started.
John Mozeliak, the Cardinals' President of Baseball Operations, didn't just sign him for the ticket sales—though those didn't hurt. He signed him for a specific, surgical reason: Albert could still mash left-handed pitching. He signed a one-year, $2.5 million deal. Pocket change in MLB terms. But the vibe was different. He wasn't the focal point anymore. He was "Tio Albert," the veteran presence next to Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright.
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What Most People Get Wrong About the 700 Chase
There is a massive misconception that Albert cruised toward 700 home runs all year. He didn't. In fact, by the All-Star break, he only had six home runs. Six.
He was hitting below .200 in July. People were whispering—quietly, because you don't disrespect a legend—that maybe he should have stayed retired. The "700 Club" felt like a mathematical impossibility. He needed 21 home runs to hit the mark when the season started. By mid-August, he still needed a dozen.
Then the Home Run Derby happened.
Something clicked. Juan Soto reportedly helped him with his swing. Manager Oliver Marmol moved him closer to the plate. Suddenly, the 42-year-old was swinging like it was 2005 again. Between August 10 and the end of the season, he put up an OPS (On-base plus slugging) north of 1.100. That’s prime Barry Bonds territory.
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The Night in Los Angeles
September 23, 2022. It had to be Dodger Stadium, didn't it? The place that gave him a second life a year prior.
- No. 699: A 434-foot blast off Andrew Heaney. The crowd, mostly Dodgers fans, started to realize history was actually happening.
- No. 700: Two innings later. Phil Bickford throws a hanging slider. Albert doesn't just hit it; he deletes it.
He became only the fourth player in history to hit 700, joining Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, and Barry Bonds. But unlike the others, he did it while hitting .270 with 24 home runs in his final season. He didn't limp across the finish line. He sprinted.
Why Albert Pujols on Cardinals Just Hits Different
Stats are great, but the Albert Pujols on Cardinals legacy is built on moments that felt scripted by a Hollywood writer. Remember the 2005 NLCS against Brad Lidge? That home run in Houston didn't just win a game; it arguably broke Lidge's confidence for two years.
Or Game 3 of the 2011 World Series. Three home runs in a single game. Only Ruth and Reggie Jackson had done that before him.
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But 2022 was about the closure. It was about seeing #5 back on that dirt at first base. It was the way he hugged Yadi after every big hit. He ended his career with 3,384 hits and 2,218 RBIs (second all-time since it became an official stat).
The Logistics of Greatness
To understand why he was so dominant, you have to look at the plate discipline. Most power hitters strike out 150+ times a year. In 2006, Albert hit 49 home runs and only struck out 50 times. Read that again. It’s a ratio that doesn't exist in the modern game.
He was a "line drive hitter who happened to hit 700 homers," as some scouts put it. He didn't sell out for the long ball until he had two strikes, and even then, his "B" swing was better than most guys' "A" swing.
Actionable Insights for the Modern Fan
If you're looking to appreciate the Pujols era or explain it to a younger fan, don't just look at the back of a baseball card. Do these three things:
- Watch the 2022 Second Half Splits: Look at his performance against lefties versus righties. He proved that even at 42, specialization and high-level preparation can beat raw youth.
- Study the "Quiet" Stats: Check his career GIDP (Ground Into Double Plays). He actually leads the league all-time in this. Why? Because he hit the ball so hard and was always on base. It’s a weird badge of honor.
- Visit the Hall of Fame in 2028: That’s his first year of eligibility. He is a lock for a first-ballot entry, likely with over 98% of the vote.
The story of Albert Pujols on Cardinals isn't just about a guy who was good at hitting a round ball with a wooden stick. It's about a player who redefined what a "prime" looks like and then, a decade later, showed us that you actually can go home again.
If you want to dive deeper into the specific mechanics of his 2022 resurgence, look into the swing adjustments he made with the Cardinals' hitting coaches in August of that year. It wasn't just magic; it was a veteran adjusting his "load" to compensate for slowing bat speed. That’s the real lesson: the best players never stop being students.