Albert Pujols is Already a Top 10 Hitter of All-Time?
Baseball, Media Gossip/Musings October 14th. 2009, 10:30am
Since Joe Posnanski arrived at Sports Illustrated earlier this year, it seems like he’s done less story-telling, and gotten more list-friendly (examples: Seven Levels…, Top 100 players, Ten Best Hitters) and ratcheted up the hyperbole (example: Most Amazing Stat, Most Amazing Paragraph, Greatest Thing Ever, Best Anthem, Worst Coaching hire, Greatest Trick Shot) on his enjoyable blog and at SI.com. His latest blog post, the Ten Best Hitters in baseball history list caught our eye this morning because Albert Pujols is on it. He’s been remarkably consistent since arriving in the bigs. He appears destined for the Hall of Fame. But he’s only been in the majors for nine years! (Current ballplayers who just missed the Top 10: Frank Thomas at 14, Alex Rodriguez at 20.) The top three are Peter King-approved: Ruth, Ted Williams, Barry Bonds. [Joe Posnanski]
68 Responses to “Albert Pujols is Already a Top 10 Hitter of All-Time?”
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October 14th, 2009 at 10:31 am
Yes
October 14th, 2009 at 10:33 am
I rarely say this, but I agree with Tyler.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:34 am
2nd’d
October 14th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Pete Rose not top 10? wow
October 14th, 2009 at 10:37 am
Yes. Who else would you have ahead of him?
I would put Williams ahead of Ruth, but I understand his logic.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:38 am
This list is entirely dependent on how important longevity is. If it is important, he’s not on there. If it isn’t he is.
For the record, my top couple.
1. Ruth
2. Bonds
3. Cobb
4. Williams
October 14th, 2009 at 10:38 am
and he keeps getting better every year. if he actually is as young as he is, it’s possible he’s #2 statistically by the end of his career.
babe is #1 b/c he revolutionized the way batters approach hitting.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:38 am
alvaro espinoza needs to be on the bottom 10 list. he would make the top 10 of the bubble gum bubble on hat trick.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:39 am
um, yes. is this really debatable?
October 14th, 2009 at 10:40 am
I believe Pujols will go down as one of the top 5 players of all time. Maybe the greatest.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:40 am
It might be *slightly* early…but yes. Also, that list better have Rickey Henderson up top.
/Too lazy to look
October 14th, 2009 at 10:40 am
Why wasn’t Jeter in the top 20? Do intangibles count for nothing Mr. Posnanski?
October 14th, 2009 at 10:41 am
I agree with this.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:41 am
Also, that list better have Rickey Henderson up top
nope
October 14th, 2009 at 10:42 am
Not sure how he did on his calcs, but Albert Pujols before the age of 30 is defintely top 10. Then again, Frank Thomas pre 30 probably was also, but he didn’t end up there.
Albert will though.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Mickey Mantle is the greatest everything in baseball history.
/Dad’d
October 14th, 2009 at 10:44 am
3 Redbirds in the Top 7
/claiming Hornsby as a Card
//For TST
October 14th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Pujols will finish his career, provided he doesnt get hurt, with about 3000 hits 550 hr 1700 rbi all with an avg of well over 300. thats gotta be top 10.
/HT to pro-baseball reference and my iphone calculator
October 14th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Rickey Henderson is the greatest leadoff hitter ever and was twice the overall baseball player that Pete Rose was.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:45 am
Manny is 16th
October 14th, 2009 at 10:46 am
Yes, everyone said these things about Frank Thomas too, as I recall.
I get the point Joe is trying to make, but I think these lists are best made once the players you are ranking have actually retired.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:48 am
fun fact of the day: By the time he was the age Pujols is now (29) Ty Cobb led the league in OPS+ 9 times. He was fucking unbelievable.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:49 am
@sponge: what’s scary is that sounds like a conservative estimate.
how many years are you figuring, 8?
October 14th, 2009 at 10:50 am
3,000 hits and over 700 homers doesn’t get you in top ten hitters?
What not enough singles for Aaron?
And he did it clean.
Bonds before the juice is Jim Thome with speed.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:50 am
Cobb was head and shoulders above everyone in his generation, just like Ruth was. but Ruth was loved and Cobb was not, so therefore Cobb doesn’t get nearly the amount of recognition that he deserves.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:52 am
Hanley has had 4 very, very good years as a “hitter”
http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/ramirha01.shtml?redir
How many at-bats does he need to qualify for potential inclusion in the top 20/50?
October 14th, 2009 at 10:52 am
nah only 6, putting him with 15 overall.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:53 am
agreed, Sparty. I love Cobb though. One of my favorites ever.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:54 am
well if pujols was included after 6000, less than actually 5146
October 14th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Rickey Henderson is the greatest leadoff hitter ever
I used to love ricky when i was growing up. I even had those lime green Mizuna batting gloves
October 14th, 2009 at 10:54 am
Pujols failed to get his Cardinals out of the first round. He sucks the big one.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:55 am
Aaron isn’t on the list, that’s just ridiculous.
But you’re absolutely wrong about Bonds before the juice. He hit for a much higher average than Thome, struck out less, and played GG defense, FWIW.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:55 am
gotcha. i figured a nice round 10 years with medical advancement and possibility of a DH in his later years. however, that is if he’s really 29 and not 32 or whatever.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:55 am
the padded ones? had those too.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:56 am
more racist- cobb or limbaugh?
October 14th, 2009 at 10:56 am
pssh. he couldn’t even throw out sid bream.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Ken Griffey Jr. was probably well on his way to top-10 at Pujols age. Now he is not top 20.
/Just sayin
October 14th, 2009 at 10:57 am
the padded ones?
hellz yeah
October 14th, 2009 at 10:57 am
How many at-bats does he need to qualify for potential inclusion in the top 20/50?
I think this illustrates the issue with including guys still in their prime. Lots of guys look great if you only include the prime of their youth. Miggy Cab has to be right up there with Hanley in terms of young hitting.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:57 am
I had some lime green Franklins that look like Deion Branch’s current gloves.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:57 am
Manny belongs ahead of the Big Hurt.
October 14th, 2009 at 10:59 am
not to be a prick but it’s MIZUNO.
it’s just disrespectful to a company that makes such fine, fine mitts and forged irons.
/high horse’d
October 14th, 2009 at 11:00 am
I don’t know how racist you could call Cobb. He just hated everybody regardless. Although he definitely eased up on that later in his life. He was pretty emphatic about black people getting to play in the majors.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:01 am
frank thomas belongs nowhere on this list.
unless this is the list of biggest PED users who haven’t been named yet. or biggest pussies. or biggest assholes.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:01 am
St. Bear-
Exageration on my part, but no Aaron is a joke, and Bonds would not be even considered if he did not juice.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:03 am
biggest foreheads:
1. frank thomas
2. ben roethlisberger
October 14th, 2009 at 11:04 am
or biggest cameo’s in an awesome baseball movie.
/Mr. Baseball
October 14th, 2009 at 11:05 am
not to be a prick but it’s MIZUNO
haha. prick
October 14th, 2009 at 11:05 am
frank thomas belongs nowhere on this list.
unless this is the list of biggest PED users who haven’t been named yet. or biggest pussies. or biggest assholes.
As a White Sox basher you have to give credit where it is due, Thomas was a great hitter. He was a TE in college and was huge then, and he voted for steroid testing when he was with the Sox.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:11 am
didn’t big papi also vote for steroid testing?
and i don’t have to give him shit credit. good hitter? sure. major league asshole? 1st ballot HoFer. he was a good hitter in meaningless games who alienated his teammates just as much as bonds did.
he was bonds without all that pesky talent and charisma.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:14 am
spencer096-
Thats why it says hitter and not boy scouts, you could remove half the top ten based on them being assholes.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:16 am
TBL or CRM, you are a dick for not posting about the ULM/ARKSt. game…That is all.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:17 am
I’m not so sure. Go back and look at his stats up to ‘97. If you take those numbers (11 years) and add another 50%, that gives him about 500 HR, 1500 RBI, and an OPS just under 1.000.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:21 am
Agreed.
That’s crazy talk.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:26 am
Yes. And that was a pretty cool story about Musial randomly showing up to Albert’s first game.
Also, I know there are questions about his age. But–short of PED use, which is always on the table–if he really is older than he says, shouldn’t he be dropping off instead of getting (seemingly) better?
October 14th, 2009 at 11:26 am
barring any PEDs use yes. if he has any PED use then i would still have to say yes.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:27 am
i’m not a huge numbers geek so i’ll quote george will.
“in a sport rich with numbers none is more beautiful than stan musial’s: he had 1,815 hits at home; 1,815 hits on the road. it didn’t matter where he played, he just hit.”
October 14th, 2009 at 11:29 am
yea, but the top 10 were actually good hitters. big skirt professional singles hitter was not.
/you’re not convincing me…facts be damned i hate the asshole and wish nothing but bad things upon him
October 14th, 2009 at 11:29 am
he is just about to turn 30(supposedly) so in baseball years he is just entering his prime.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:36 am
Spence
Here is a peace offering, Delaware State will beat UM this week end.
October 14th, 2009 at 11:54 am
Right, I was just trying to get at the age issue. If people think he’s lying about his age, how old do they think he really is? 32? 34? Regardless, his trajectory to this point is ridiculous.
October 14th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
I’m more offended by the insinuation much has changed with Posnanski.
October 14th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
yes
October 14th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
+1. Griffey was a monster before 30. Numbers still not touching Pujols. A-Poo does belong in the top ten either way.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:06 pm
TBL has an inate hatred/disdain/whatever for anything and everything associated with the Cardinals. If El Hombre played for either the Mets or Yankees, you’d see him propping this up as gospel.
Pos just did this for fun. Why complain about an unscientific comparison, right?
October 14th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
he really became a hack once he started si fulltime.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:14 pm
You realize we’re debating a list he made in like five minutes for fun on a blog post about his favorite Springsteen albums?
October 14th, 2009 at 3:16 pm
I take it back, I take it back, we’re debating a list he spent another two hours for his amusement on that grew out of that blog post. Joe, Joe, you’re apparently a hack now for posting the shit you write in a blog.