LA Angels History: It is time to reassess Albert Pujols' career in Anaheim

Albert Pujols is back in an Angels uniform this week, spending six days as a spring training guest instructor. As it worked out, it’s also where he confirmed his appointment to manage the Dominican Republic at the next World Baseball Classic, and admitted to having his eye on managing in the Major Leagues sooner rather than later. The stars could align for the Angels -- Ron Washington is entering the last guaranteed year of his contract and Pujols already employed under a ten-year personal services contract to the Halos. However, bringing up Albert Pujols’ name inevitably prompts a flood of fan commentary on how awful he was as an Angels’ player...but was he?

To make two things perfectly clear: Was Pujols the likely first ballot hall of fame superstar with the Angels that he had been with the Cardinals? No.

Was he worth every penny of his ten-year, $240 million contract? Again, and resoundingly, no.

That contract, as quaint as it may now seem in the age of the $700 million mega-deal, was never going to be great value. At best, the Angels were hoping for a few years of vintage Pujols, followed by a period of solid-if-less-than-spectacular production, and perhaps a final victory lap from one of the all-time greats. What they got was an aging, oft-injured player who slashed .256/.311/.447 -- a far cry from the pre-Angels Machine he was.

However, Pujols provided his share of Angels highlights. He hit 222 home runs, tied for fourth all-time amongst Angels players, including his 500th and 600th. He’s fifth all-time on the Angels leaderboard for RBI (783) and extra base hits (437), and seventh all-time in hits, doubles and at-bats. In the seven years of his contract where he played more than 100 games, he hit over 20 homers in all but one (2016, when he hit 19) including 40 round-trippers in 2015, his lone All-Star year with the Angels.

From 2012-2016, the first half of his contract (barring 2013 when he only played 99 games), Pujols was in the top two in team home runs and RBI, and never dropped below the top 5 in batting average. Again, he wasn’t the monster he had been in St Louis, but compared to the team that surrounded him, he was a legitimate star in that first half of his deal.

It wasn’t just injuries that derailed him later on. A 2018 article by Alden Gonzalez for ESPN showed that the prevalence of defensive shifts – now oulawed – arguably affected Pujols more than any other player.

"From 2015 to 2018, Pujols has accumulated a whopping 403 hard-hit outs, putting balls in play that travel at least 95 mph. Nobody has more… His batting average on balls in play is .245, tied for the lowest in the majors among qualified hitters during that time."

Alden Gonzalez, ESPN

His off-field contributions cannot be ignored either. Both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani have spoken with reverence about Pujols' impact on their careers. Until Ohtani’s arrival, Pujol’s 5 sat ubiquitously alongside Trout’s 27 on the backs of fans at the Big A, and their faces hung side by side outside of the home plate gates.

Inevitably, when Albert Pujols’ Hall of Fame plaque is unveiled in Cooperstown, it will feature a St Louis Cardinals cap. But as Angels’ fans put a little more distance between the disappointment of him not being the saviour they expected, the reality of his mostly positive tenure with the Angels will become clearer. Whether he’ll be back in the dugout to receive his dues, this time as manager, will be a fascinating storyline to watch over the next year or two.   

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