While the world watched and waited with baited breath for New York Yankees player Aaron Judge to tie the single season home run record of 61 homers, St. Louis Cardinals legend Albert Pujols reached a major milestone of his own when he hit home runs number 699 and 700 in the same game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on a September 23 Friday evening.

When Pujols hit home run number 700 he became just the fourth player in MLB history to reach the 700 mark after Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, and Babe Ruth.  Pujols is from the Dominican Republic and is the first player born outside the United States to reach the milestone.

At 42, Pujols has announced that the 2022 MLB season will be his last.  Once the Cardinals play their final game, Pujols will hang up his bat and glove and open a new chapter in his life.  But before he does that, he is not finished knocking balls over the fences.

Appropriately in his final at bat at home in Busch Stadium, Pujols treated the packed house to home run number 702.

On October 3 against the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, Pujols hit home run number 703 for his 263 home run to put his team in the lead.  Not only did he put his Cardinals on the board, he broke a record to place him ahead of Barry Bonds – who has 262 go ahead homers – as having the most in MLB history.  The Elias Sports Bureau who keeps track of all statistics for the MLB stated that the record goes back to 1961.  Nine of Pujols last 12 home runs have either given the Cardinals a tie or put them ahead of their opponents.

Home run number 703 also tied Pujols with Hank Aaron for second in the most home runs in a visiting ballpark at 370.  Barry Bonds holds the record with 383.

Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol noted that Pujols is “feeling pretty good” right now and is making some “elite swings”.  He added that Pujols “approach is good and his swing is good.”

When Pujols hit his two run homer on Monday against Pirates’ pitcher Mitch Keller, he extended his lead of hitting a home run off of different pitchers to 458.  On being added to the list of pitchers who he has hit a home run off of, Keller said, “if I was going to give one up, I’d rather give it up to him than anybody else.”

And the records continue with home run number 703 also being Pujols’ 35th at PNC Park – twice that of the next player of Anthony Rizzo with 17.  For Pujols, PNC Park is the place where he has hit the most homers in a visiting park.