Los Angeles Angels star Albert Pujols is now an RBI master and is now in an exclusive group with one of the most-prestigious RBI records in Major League Baseball.  The first baseman moves up in his sports career and overtakes Alex Rodriguez in second place on the all-time RBI chart.

Baseball calls him the machine that keeps climbing higher.  The league believes in him, and there is no doubt that he deserves to get motivational reviews from fans, teammates and former players.

Pujols Pushes A-Rod Down A RBI Notch

Pujols is ready to continue achieving more records.  He is reaching the pinnacle of his professional career and even more so after overcoming A-Rod with his 2,087th RBI, which he poetically got against the Houston Astros.  Pujols achieved this RBI feat after hitting a single off Framber Valdez to allow Mike Trout to score during the fifth inning of Monday’s game.

Pujols is not the primary record holder yet, but he could be if he keeps this up.  Hank Aaron is the RBI record holder at 2,297.   Babe Ruth follows on some lists with 2,214, although 224 happened before the RBI was established as an official statistic in 1920.  On the same matter, because the records didn’t become official until that year, it means that the New York Yankees former player got credit for only 1,987, which places him in sixth place overall.

For some, this could sound unfair and they argue that the statistics are not being handled in the most accurate way.  However, if the records weren’t made official until 1920, it’s just the way it is, and the official count is what is used for the stats.

Pujols Celebrates As A-Rod Shows Support

Pujols felt super excited and motivated by this RBI achievement.  He said that conquering this record meant a definite honor for him, even though his team lost 11-4 against the Houston Astros in the game.  Rodriguez, who retired in 2016 and played with the Seattle Mariners, the Texas Rangers and the New York Yankees, congratulated Pujols for his record, tweeting, “Congrats to my friend @PujolsFive on another amazing milestone!  One of the best hitters ever and an incredible person.”

Pujols must feel really proud to receive a shout-out by one of the most prolific former players of the league – especially after causing him to give up one of his records.  Although Pujols is 40 years and one of the oldest players in MLB, his talents are unquestionable.

The Hits Keep Coming

Pujols’ numbers show that he is batting .211 with three home runs and 12 RBIs this season.  Recently, he was left out of the lineup for the Angels, which haven’t been having the best season.  Pujols hasn’t been playing lately and it’s tough for him; however, his achievements in the league continue to add up.  He was chosen MVP three times and an All-Star ten times, and he also has 659 career home runs.  He is just one behind Willie Mays for fifth place.

After all the time that Pujols has played in the league, he has definitely become a mature player.  He has played for the sake of sports, for love for the league and not for getting records.  He explains, “I’m not here to chase records.  Twenty years ago, when I started … that was never my goal.” He is honest about this; there’s no trace of arrogance or pride.  It seems he has always tried to keep himself as a humble guy, and that is what makes him one of the greatest.  He has been playing for 20 years and is considered a living legend by many.  We can be sure that Pujols will keep on delighting fans with great results, and will break a few more records along the way.