Five Benefits That Albert Pujols Can Provided For The Cardinals in 2022

To paraphrase Han Solo in The Force Awakens, “Albert, we’re home!”

It was just this week that it was announced that Albert Pujols had sign a one-year deal, consisting of at least 2.5 million dollars, to return to the team that he started his MLB career with in the St. Louis Cardinals. This is his first time in a Redbirds uniform since 2011, the last year which the Cardinals won it all. After spending 10+ years in LA playing for the Angels and a half season with Dodgers, he now makes his way back to St. Louis where he plans for this year to be his final season.

While there’s no doubt about it that this is purely a nostalgia move by the Cardinals FO, I do believe there are some big benefits that Albert can provide to the team that in no way, shape, or form can bring any harm towards the team. Yes, Pujols is NO WHERE near the player he once was and how he has been since he left St. Louis over a decade ago is prove of that. However, if used properly, he can be a key factor into making a Cardinals a legit playoff and even possibly World Series contender in 2022. While the Cardinals still have other big holes they didn’t bother to fill in the offseason (mostly from the pitching department), having one of the best players to have ever played the game on in your clubhouse every day should certainly not be one of them.

To prove that, I made up a list of five reasons that I believe Albert Pujols can be a major asset to the Cardinals in 2022.

1.) A Perfect Bench Bat/Pinch Hitter

Aside from their lack of starting pitching and having to rely on young relievers that were clearly not ready for the big leagues, one of the biggest issues with the Cardinals last year was an incredibly weak bench. It did get better down the stretch with the likes of Jose Rondon and Lars Nootbaar (I still can’t believe that’s a real name), but for the most part, it was fairly subpar. Matt Carpenter was a shell of his former clutch self, Austin Dean, Lane Thomas, and Justin Williams didn’t make much impact, Edmundo Sosa was only effective when he was in the starting lineup, and Paul DeJong was plain bad no matter what his role was. A big reason for that awful stretch the Cardinals suffered in June to the All-Star Break which kicked them out of the division race, was a lack of a productive bench or reliable late-bat to count on.

However, if his time with Dodgers last year prove anything is that Albert can still be useful when used properly and can make for the right sparkplug. As a sub, Pujols’s numbers were .305 BA, .364 OBP, .458 SLG, .821 OPS. As a pinch-hitter, Pujols’s numbers were .359 BA, .395 OBP, .513 SLG, .908 OPS.

While he is certainly not someone who can start/play every day anymore, he can certainly make for a good back-up to rely on when the team needs it. Whether it’s when Paul Goldschmidt needs a day off or when the game is on the line and a big lefty-reliever comes up to the mound, Pujols can be someone to count on to get the job done.

And speaking of hitting off of left-handed pitching.

2.) He can still murder left handed pitching.

While there is no doubt that he was helpless against right handed pitching (.180 BA, .233 OBP, .266 SLG, .500 OPS), Pujols was undoubtedly a kryptonite for left handed pitchers in 2021. His splits against LHP include .294 BA, .336 OBP, .603 SLG, .939 OPS. For a hitter that is stated to be 42 years old (or possibly even older than that), that is quite an impressive.

The Cardinals are already a team that is capable of hitting off of left handed pitching with the majority of the hitters in their lineup being able to hit from the right side with only Lars Nootbaar and Corey Dickerson of what will (probably) be the only strictly left handed hitters that will be active on the Opening Day roster. With Pujols being able to act as either a pinch hitter against a lefty relief or as a side DH against a lefty starter, this makes the Cardinals a team you most definitely not want to face when you have a lefty on the mound in any capacity.

3.) Great Leadership

The only thing that make a great player any better is being a great leader. Anyone that has played with Albert over the years can tell you that he brings an absolute great presence and energy into the clubhouse with any team he has been a part of. Mike Trout has always spoke highly of Albert and has always credited him for his turn as arguably the greatest ball player in baseball. Also, plenty of Dodgers players last year has highlighted Pujols has being the right person in the dugout that an lead and inspire others.

With two other Cardinal veterans (Yadier Molina and Adam Wainwright) expected to call it a career after this season along with young hitting prospects that are expected to debut this year such as Nolan Gorman, Ivan Herrera, Juan Yepez, Brendan Donovan etc., it’s definitely wise to have a baseball legend be in the clubhouse and being able to help guide these young hitters to show them their first true steps onto the big field.

Even if Albert isn’t able to make his impact with the bat or glove in 2022, there’s no doubt he will be able to set by another example of his fantastic leadership that he will likely bring in the dugout.

4.) Increased Fan Support

Admittedly, this is more of an advantage to the Cardinals FO then Pujols himself but hear me out. As I mention previously, there is nothing without a shred of a doubt that this signing was done to increase ticket sales and merchandise for the 2022 season. Mozeliak and the Dewitts know that fans would give anything to see Albert put on his Redbird jersey one last time and have his final home game be at Busch Stadium. However, if history is anything to go back, the Cardinals tend to perform better when they have the fans right by their side in their home ballpark.

Since they opened the third incarnation of Busch Stadium back in 2006, the Cardinals have only had one losing record season at home (2016). The biggest reason for that is how fans will always show up and support the team they love most in baseball. As a result, that gives the players an extra bid of confidence. It gives the players the sense of feeling that it’s their duty to pay their respects to the fans support by going out there and play the best nine innings of baseball they possibly can.

Since 2006, the Cardinals have had 17 playoff series at Busch, six of those in the League Championship Series, and three in the World Series. They have won 11 of those 17 series, three of them in the LCS, and two of them in the World Series. There’s not a whole lot of teams that benefit from home field advantage than the Cardinals do.

With one of the best Cardinal players of all time, Albert Pujols returning to where his major league career started, no doubt that fan support will be through the roof in 2022.

5.) The Perfect Swan Song

The main reason why fans were so eager to have Albert Pujols for 2022 was how it would make for a rather nice and bittersweet storybook ending for not just the career of Pujols but also Cardinal legends Yadier Molina and Adam Wainright, (or as the fans like to refer to them as Yadi and Waino). Molina and Pujols have both already announced that this year will be his final season. While Wainwright hasn’t 100% confirmed that this will be his final year yet, it’s hard to imagine him wanting to go into a 2023 season without Yadi being behind the plate for him.

This also leaves some important milestones that all three players are hoping to achieve in 2022. Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina are looking to set the new record for most games started with the same pitcher/catcher combo ever. Albert is looking to hit at least 21 home runs to be able to be one of four Major League hitters ever to hit 700 home runs in their entire career. Just imagine the exciting and enthusiasm from Cardinals fans and even baseball fans everywhere if both of those milestones are able to be meet by the end of the year. These won’t be easy to achieve but no doubt, everyone will be along for the ride until the very last game of the year.

There’s no telling of the direction the Cardinals will be headed to next year. They will be faced with a lot of challenges with the departure of several key Cardinal veterans. Veterans who are not only three of the best players to ever put on a Cardinals uniform along with the last three pieces to their two World Championships of the 21st century but also ones that have inspired great connection and leadership to their teammates and the fanbase, both young and old. There’s no telling what kind of players that St. Louis will have for the foreseeable future that will leave anywhere near the amount of impact that these three men did but no doubt, there will be quite an Hollywood ending to write out by the end of the year.

Other comments:

It has just came out a few days ago that Albert Pujols’s wife, Deidre had to have surgery to remove a brain tumor in her head. My absolute thoughts and prayers are with Deidre, Albert, and all of her friends and family! This can not be an easy process whatsoever. I wish nothing but the best things from both of them.

Also, I do have plans to make an MLB Prediction piece for 2022. I should have it out sometime next week before Opening Day. I’m also seeing Mobius tonight and will have my review of that sometime tonight or tomorrow. So, be on the lookout for those.