Countdown to Opening Day - 29: Pujols homering his way up the leaderboard
In this 30-day series, theScore's MLB editors preview the 2015 season with an in-depth look at some of the significant numbers - milestones, jersey numbers and general miscellanea - poised to pop up throughout the campaign.
Albert Pujols says he doesn't play for numbers.
Not 500, 600 or even 700; the sorts of milestones that form the bedrock for a player's legacy; the type of numbers that put dominance into context and define a player's place among the pantheon of all-time greats.
It's a good thing we're counting for him.
As Pujols enters his 15th major league season, The Machine continues to motor along into rarefied air.
Last season, he became the third-youngest player to hit 500 home runs, accomplishing the feat less than four years after earning the same designation for 400. His pace has slowed since slugging No. 400 - he's hit 37, 30, 17 and 28 home runs the past four seasons - but his march up the leaderboard (520 and counting) remains impressive nonetheless.
Two more homers and the Los Angeles Angels slugger passes Hall of Famers Ted Williams, Frank Thomas and Willie McCovey; another 15, and he moves ahead of Jimmy Foxx; 17 more to clip the great Mickey Mantle, and a 29-home run effort places Pujols ahead of Mike Schmidt and into 15th all-time.
Though his production has waned considerably since his MVP years with the St. Louis Cardinals, Pujols's climb up the leaderboard is still moving at (almost) unprecedented speed.
HR leaders through first 14 seasons
| Player | HR | GP |
|---|---|---|
| Mark McGwire | 522 | 1688 |
| Albert Pujols | 520 | 2117 |
| Alex Rodriguez | 518 | 1904 |
| Willie Mays | 505 | 2005 |
| Sammy Sosa | 499 | 1875 |
Adjusted for age, Pujols still ranks high despite his recent decline.
HR leaders through age-34 season
| Player | HR | GP |
|---|---|---|
| Alex Rodriguez | 613 | 2303 |
| Sammy Sosa | 539 | 2012 |
| Jimmie Foxx | 527 | 2213 |
| Albert Pujols | 520 | 2117 |
| Babe Ruth | 516 | 1790 |
The chase for 600, however, figures to be decidedly tough. There's his increasing whiff rate against breaking pitches, two straight sub-.200 ISO seasons and the sober reality that he's 35 years old.
Pujols won't catch Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and probably not Babe Ruth. He'll most likely hit No. 600 sometime in 2018 - late 2017 at the earliest - provided he stays healthy. Eight players in major-league history have hit at least 180 homers between the ages of 35 and 41, which is how old Pujols will be when his current contract expires. So it's certainly possible he gets to 700.
For now, let's focus on more attainable numbers, like the aforementioned 2, 15, 17 and 29. Before we know it, he'll be at 600, and we'll be back counting all the ways that make Pujols great.
- Stats courtesy Fangraphs & Baseball-Reference.com