Vital Statistics:
Born: January 16, 1980
Hometown: Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Height: 6-3
Weight: 230
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Family: Wife, Deidre; daughters Isabella and Sofia; son A.J. (Alberto Jr.)
Primary position: First base
Before The Bigs:
- Pujols’ family moved to the United States in the early 1990s, first to New York, then to Independence, Missouri.
- He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 13th round of the 1999 amateur draft.
- He spent just one season in the minors, hitting .324 with 17 home runs and 84 RBIs at Class A Peoria in 2000, then 21 games at Potomac and three games at Triple-A Memphis. He made the Cardinals’ roster in the spring of 2001.
- First player since Ted Williams to begin his career with six consecutive 100 RBI seasons.
- Hit .329 with 37 home runs and 130 RBIs and was named NL Rookie of the Year in 2001, in just his second pro season. He was fourth in the NL Most Valuable Player voting.
- In his first six seasons, he never finished lower than fourth in the NL MVP balloting, winning the award in 2005.
- Led the Cardinals to the World Series title in 2006, hitting a career-high 49 home runs and 137 RBIs in the regular season and batting .331.
- Has 13 postseason home runs in his first 53 postseason games.
- Five-time National League All-Star entering 2007.
Career Highlights:
