Pujols 'for sure' expects Trout to pass him in career HRs

Albert Pujols will go down in history as one of Major League Baseball's greatest home run hitters. And yet, he expects All-Star teammate Mike Trout to be even more prolific over the course of his career.

When asked if he thinks Trout will wind up with more career homers, the veteran didn't hesitate.

"For sure," Pujols told Harold Reynolds on MLB Network's "Play Ball." "At the pace that he's going, for sure. ... If he can stay healthy he's not only going to pass me, he's going to pass many guys in front of me, too, that I'm chasing."

That's high praise considering there aren't many names ahead of Pujols, the league's active leader with 656 career home runs. Only five players - Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez, and Willie Mays - have hit more than Pujols.

Coming off his age-27 season, Trout has tallied 285 round-trippers in parts of nine campaigns. The 40-year-old Pujols had 282 after his own age-27 season in 2007, but Trout started in MLB at 19 years old, affording him more than 100 extra games.

In Pujols' 11-season tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals, he hit at least 40 home runs six different times, including in four consecutive campaigns from 2003-06 that included a career high of 49. So far, Trout has recorded two 40-homer seasons, which includes mashing a career-high 45 in 134 games during 2019.

Trout is under contract with the Angels through the 2030 season, so he has plenty of time to rise through the ranks. He currently sits alone at 172nd all time, having surpassed the likes of Will Clark and Eric Karros last year. He now trails both Carlos Pena and Frank Thomas (not "The Big Hurt" Frank Thomas, who hit 521) by one homer.