By winning the 2008 Most Valuable Player in the National League, Albert Pujols has cemented his place as one of the game’s greats. Pujols has won the award twice now with his first MVP trophy being picked up during the 2005 season.
Since 1980, only 7 other players in the game have won multiple MVP awards in a 4 year span. Pujols now joins this elite group that includes: Mike Schmidt, Dale Murphy, Barry Bonds, Alex Rodriguez, Frank Thomas, and Juan Gonzalez. If Albert is able to win one more award, the group becomes even more prestigious as it only includes Schmidt, Bonds, and A-Rod.
The odds?? Excellent.
In just 8 full seasons in the major leagues, Albert Pujols has a career average of .334. With 1,531 hits and 319 home runs, Pujols is setting himself up to join the very exclusive 3000/500 club marking him as one of the best hitters the game has ever seen.
When you take into consideration that Pujols has finished 2nd in the MVP race 3 times and 3rd 1 more time, I have to wonder if we are not taking Pujols’ amazing talent for granted. Are we expecting his numbers to remain in this same pattern of .330/40/115 every year? Thus, making it almost impossible for him to impress us any longer?? Is anything less than this considered a failure?
No, he’s the perfect package! And, in my opinion the best in baseball today.
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