Cardinals: What teammates are saying about Albert Pujols’ resurgence

What are St. Louis Cardinals teammates saying about Albert Pujols’ resurgence? Let’s take you inside the clubhouse.

The reactions to the St. Louis Cardinals signing Albert Pujols were mixed. Some viewed it as a low-risk option to bring a Hall of Famer home for one last season to contribute off the bench. Others thought the move was nostalgia based and provided little upside.

But Pujols has shown that he can still contribute at the major-league level – and has his two-homer performance against the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday underscored, he can still play at a very high level. And it just so happened to give him 689 career home runs, bringing him within 11 of 700.

So what do teammates have to say about Pujols and his quest for history? Here’s what Katie Woo of The Athletic revealed from the clubhouse in St. Louis:

“You got guys in the dugout getting goosebumps,” starting pitcher Miles Mikolas said.

“I can’t say enough about it,” Tyler O’Neill remarked.

“That was something special,” Dylan Carlson said. “He was one of my favorite players growing up as a kid.”

Not only has Pujols contributed at the plate, he’s done so off the field as well. He’s become a trusted sounding board for Carlson and other players, both experienced and inexperienced, in the Cardinals’ clubhouse. Pujols, 42, is a surefire Hall of Famer when he retires and has picked up infinite amounts of wisdom during his 22 years in the majors.

That Pujols is passing that knowledge on to the younger players further underscores how vital his signing was. His presence will be felt not only in 2022, but in future seasons as Carlson and Tyler O’Neill become franchise stalwarts.

For now, however, Pujols continues to show his worth on the field. And as Sunday’s game revealed, he’s still capable of putting the team on his back from time to time.