Albert Pujols is chasing home run history. Here are 5 things to know about the three-time MVP and two-time World Series winner.
Does MLB Network host Greg Amsinger have a crystal ball?
St. Louis Cardinals slugger Albert Pujols joined the exclusive 700 home run club with a two-homer night against the Dodgers in Los Angeles on Friday.
And Amsinger somehow saw the historic night coming several months ago.
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SIGN UP HERE Back on April 13, Amsinger correctly predicted the exact day Pujols would hit career home run No. 700.
“Albert's going to play so much more than people think. He is. He's a draw and he's gonna be productive. He will reach 700 career home runs" Amsinger said. "I do have bad news Cardinals fans. I have bad news. He's going to hit his 700th career home run on the road -- Friday night in Los Angeles in September off Clayton Kershaw. That's when it's gonna happen."
The only detail Amsinger got incorrect was the opposing pitcher. Pujols, who played part of last season with the Dodgers, went deep off of reliever Phil Bickford, not Clayton Kershaw. But that doesn’t make the prediction any less impressive.
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It was far from a guarantee Pujols would even reach 700 homers in 2022. The 42-year-old entered the year 21 home runs away from the milestone, and he had failed to hit at least 21 long balls in two of the last three full MLB seasons.
But, as also predicted by Amsinger, Pujols has enjoyed a productive return season in St. Louis. He's hitting .265/.338./.530 with 58 RBIs over 101 games played.
Pujols, who plans to retire after this season, is fourth on the all-time home run list behind Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714). While he’s highly unlikely to catch Ruth, Pujols could still add a few more memorable homers to his career total over St. Louis’ final 10 games.
