Albert Pujols is one home run shy of joining the highly exclusive 600 home run club. Unless you’re someone that’s digs deep into the internet for news, then you maybe had no idea that this was even something that was close to happening.
Pujols hit homer No. 599 on Tuesday night in the Los Angeles Angels’ 9-3 win over the Atlanta Braves. It was a three-run homer that came off Bartolo Colon in the third inning and put the Angels up 3-2.
Pujols had three more at bats in Tuesday’s game, but was unable to reach the plateau on which only 8 other players currently sit. If he continues to play at a relatively high level over the next 3-5 years, meaning about 20 home runs per season at least, then Albert could very well reach the 700 home run club, a group that only includes 3 players(2 if you don’t count Barry Bonds).
The 600 home run club includes:
• Barry Bonds (762)
• Hank Aaron (755)
• Babe Ruth (714)
• Alex Rodriguez (696)
• Willie Mays (660)
• Ken Griffey Jr. (630)
• Jim Thome (612)
• Sammy Sosa (609)
Once Pujols joins the group, there may not be another member for a long long time. The next two closest are Miguel Cabrera(451 HR) and Adrian Beltre(445). Beltre is on the tail end of his career, maybe even more so than Pujols, so it’s unlikely that he reaches 600, and 500 may even be a stretch for him. Cabrera is a bit younger, but his power numbers have dropped off a bit in recent years, so 600 isn’t as much as a done deal for him as it seemed in the past.
Pujols was someone I despised in the past, largely because he absolutely owned the Astros for many years, including his home run that crushed the Astros in the playoffs in the mid 2000s. Though the Stros still play him many times each season, his production has dropped off significantly, so he hasn’t made my life as miserable as he did back in the mid 2000s.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptZ20OHDN_4