How can you argue with his numbers. Nobody even close in the game today overall.
You have to give him credit because he earns it. Amazing consistency year in and year out. 3 time MVP in 9 seasons is in itself quite a feat. A cinch HOFer.
I find it incredulous in this era of crazy money that Manny is making $25M this season while Albert is getting $14M and change. Sure Manny has had some great years but he will not outhit Pujols ever again.
Name the category and he is at the top of MLB during one year or another. Take RBIs for example, as important a stat as any. Over his 9 full seasons his numbers are rock solid from year to year.
Runs Batted In
2001 NL 130 (5th)
2002 NL 127 (2nd)
2003 NL 124 (4th)
2004 NL 123 (3rd)
2005 NL 117 (2nd)
2006 NL 137 (2nd)
2008 NL 116 (4th)
2009 NL 135 (3rd)
2010 NL 3 (5th)
Active 1115 (20th)
Career 1115 (183rd)
Amazingly he has never led the NL but on the other hand his worst RBI season was his rookie year when he was 5th best.
Comparing him to the all time greats is difficult because almost all of them played around 20 seasons while Albert just began his 10th.
His Total Bases stats are incredible:
Total Bases
2001 NL 360 (7th)
2002 NL 331 (4th)
2003 NL 394 (1st)
2004 NL 389 (1st)
2005 NL 360 (2nd)
2006 NL 359 (3rd)
2007 NL 321 (10th)
2008 NL 342 (1st)
2009 NL 374 (1st)
2010 NL 10 (1st)
Active 3240 (23rd)
Career 3240 (201st)
5 out of the last 9 years he was 1st in the NL with a 2nd, 3rd and 4th thrown in.
Lastly Runs Scored and extra base hits stats are mind boggling.
Runs Scored
2001 NL 112
2002 NL 118 (2nd)
2003 NL 137 (1st)
2004 NL 133 (1st)
2005 NL 129 (1st)
2006 NL 119 (5th)
2009 NL 124 (1st)
2010 NL 4 (1st)
Active 1075 (26th)
xtra Base Hits
2001 NL 88 (6th)
2002 NL 76 (7th)
2003 NL 95 (1st)
2004 NL 99 (1st)
2005 NL 81 (3rd)
2006 NL 83 (4th)
2008 NL 81 (2nd)
2009 NL 93 (1st)
2010 NL 2 (1st)
Active 769 (17th)
Career 769 (119th)
Albert Pujols is without a doubt the most dangerous hitter in the game today..
wil.