Albert Pujols ties Mickey Mantle on all-time home run list
Los Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols is no stranger to milestones. He notched another one Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Rays, hitting his 536th career home run.
The blast tied Pujols with Mickey Mantle for 16th on the all-time list. The performance shouldn’t come as a surprise, as Pujols has been on a tear recently.
That streak continued Tuesday, and it wasn’t just due to the home run. Pujols finished 3 for 4, with three runs scored and one RBI. After starting the month with a .254 average, Pujols is up to .268 following the hot stretch. It’s a far cry from his peak, but Pujols can still go on a vintage hot streak from time to time.
Pujols is now 12 home runs away from tying Mike Schmidt for 15th all-time. He would need 19 home runs to match Manny Ramirez for 14th.
In the past, he would have easily reached those milestones. But even if Pujols can’t get there this season, he still has six more years on his contract.
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Pujols may no longer be in peak form, but he’s still effective. There are still a number of milestones to pass in his future.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
