Albert Pujols

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Pujols' early years were defined by resilience; his family moved from Santo Domingo to Independence, Missouri, to escape violence. At Fort Osage High School, he was intentionally walked 55 times over his entire high school career yet still hit eight home runs in just 33 at-bats as a senior, including one traveling 450 feet. In college at Maple Woods Community College, he turned an unassisted triple play and batted .461 with 22 home runs as a freshman before the Cardinals drafted him in the 13th round of 1999. Initially, few teams wanted him due to uncertainty about his age and build, but scout Fernando Arango believed in him so strongly he quit when Tampa Bay passed on signing Pujols.

In Their Own Story

During spring training in 2001, incumbent star Mark McGwire warned manager Tony La Russa that failing to promote Pujols "might be one of the worst moves you make in your career." On Opening Day against the Colorado Rockies, Pujols became the first player born in the 1980s to play in the majors. Just four days later, he hit his first home run against Armando Reynoso. By April 9, in his first home game at Busch Stadium, he crushed a two-run homer off Denny Neagle on his very first career at-bat. His rookie season culminated with a historic .329 average, 47 doubles, and 112 runs scored. He set an NL rookie record with 130 RBIs and became the fourth player ever to hit .300 with 30 home runs, 100 runs, and 100 RBIs in a debut year, unanimously winning Rookie of the Year.

Reader's Guide

Fans can trace Pujols' St. Louis journey from his first at-bat on April 2, 2001, to his final season with the team in 2011. Key moments include his 30-game hitting streak from July 12 to August 16, 2003—the second-longest in franchise history behind only Rogers Hornsby—and his 100th career home run on July 20 of that same year against the Dodgers. He reached this milestone in just his third season, joining an elite group including Joe DiMaggio and Eddie Mathews. Pujols also led the National League in runs (137), hits (212), and doubles (51) during that 2003 campaign, becoming the youngest player since Tommy Davis to win a batting title with a .359 average.

Did You Know?

• Pujols was drafted in the 13th round of the 1999 MLB draft because scouts were unsure about his age and position.
• Over his entire high school career, Pujols was intentionally walked 55 times, and as a senior he hit eight home runs in only 33 at-bats.
• In his first major league game on April 2, 2001, he became the first player born in the 1980s to play in MLB.
• Pujols hit his 100th career home run in just his third season, reaching the milestone in 391 games—six games slower than Ralph Kiner's record of 385 games.
• He was unanimously named NL Rookie of the Year after setting an NL rookie record with 130 RBIs.