Some statistical highlights and just-misses in another stellar season for St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols.
Despite sitting out the final game of the Pittsburgh series and taking only three official at-bats in the St. Louis Cardinals’ final two games, first baseman Albert Pujols earned his first National League RBI title with 118 as well as his second consecutive NL home run title with 42.
Albert also led the league with 115 runs scored, 82 extra-base hits and 38 intentional walks. It was his second consecutive season with the most runs scored and fifth overall. Pujols has been the NL leader in intentional walks for three years running and four times in total.
In his tenth season, Pujols also had several disappointments. He finished with a career-low .312 batting average and was edged on the final day by Cincinnati’s Joey Votto for the league lead in slugging percentage, .600 to .596. Also, for the first time in three seasons, Pujols fell short of 40 doubles with 39.
This last number is notable in that with one more double, Pujols would have broken his tie with the immortal Lou Gehrig for the most 40 double-40 home run seasons in MLB history.
40 double, 40 home run seasons, MLB history
| Rank | Player | Years | 1st | Last | Age | |
| 1 | Albert | Pujols | 3 | 2003 | 2009 | 23-29 |
| 2 | Lou | Gehrig | 3 | 1927 | 1934 | 24-31 |
| T3 | David | Ortiz | 2 | 2004 | 2005 | 28-29 |
| T3 | Todd | Helton | 2 | 2000 | 2001 | 26-27 |
| T3 | Albert | Belle | 2 | 1995 | 1998 | 28-31 |
| T3 | Hank | Greenberg | 2 | 1937 | 1940 | 26-29 |
| T3 | Chuck | Klein | 2 | 1929 | 1930 | 24-25 |
| T3 | Babe | Ruth | 2 | 1921 | 1923 | 26-28 |
Albert Pujols, doubles and home runs by season
| 2B | HR | |
| 2001 | 47 | 37 |
| 2002 | 40 | 34 |
| 2003 | 51L | 43 |
| 2004 | 51 | 46 |
| 2005 | 38 | 41 |
| 2006 | 33 | 49 |
| 2007 | 38 | 32 |
| 2008 | 44 | 37 |
| 2009 | 45 | 47L |
| 2010 | 39 | 42L |
| L=led league |
Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for the first table.
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