Albert Pujols
MLB debut April 2, 2001 for the St. Louis Cardinals Career statistics (through 2014 season) Batting average .317 Hits 2,519 Home runs 520 Runs batted in 1,603 Teams St. Louis Cardinals (2001–2011) Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim (2012–present) Career highlights and awards 2× World Series champion (2006, 2011) 3× NL MVP Award (2005, 2008–2009) 9× MLB All-Star (2001, 2003–2010) NLCS MVP Award (2004) NL batting champion (2003) 2× NL home run champion (2009–2010) NL RBI champion (2010) NL doubles champion (2003) 5× NL runs scored champion (2003–2005, 2009–2010) 6× Silver Slugger Award (2001, 2003–2004, 2008–2010) 2× Rawlings Gold Glove Award (2006, 2010) NL Rookie of the Year Award (2001) 500 home run club José Alberto Pujols Alcántara (born January 16, 1980), better known as Albert Pujols (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈalβert puˈxols]), is a Dominican-American first baseman for the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim of Major League Baseball. Pujols previously played with the St. Louis Cardinals, where he received three National League (NL) MVP awards and was a nine-time MLB All-Star. Pujols was born in the Dominican Republic and moved to the United States in 1996. After one season of college baseball, he was selected by the Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB Draft. As a rookie for the Cardinals in 2001, he was unanimously voted the NL Rookie of the Year. Pujols played for the Cardinals for 11 seasons, contributing to two World Series championships in 2006 and 2011. After the 2011 season Pujols became a free agent, and later signed a 10-year contract with the Angels. Pujols is a highly regarded hitter who has shown "a combination of contact hitting ability, patience and raw power". He is a six-time Silver Slugger who has twice led the NL in home runs, and he has also led the NL once each in batting average, doubles and RBI. He is significantly above-average in career regular season batting average (.317), walk rate (12.1 percent), and isolated power (.217). Pujols is considered a strong future candidate for the Hall of Fame.