MVP Profile: Albert Pujols, 2009

First Baseman, St. Louis Cardinals

Age:  29

9^th season with Cardinals

Bats – Right, Throws – Right

Height: 6’3”    Weight: 240 

Prior to 2009:

A native of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, Pujols immigrated to Independence, Missouri with his father and grandmother at age 16. Impressive in high school and after attending Metropolitan Community College – Maple Woods, he was drafted by the Cardinals in the 1999 amateur draft. He spent most of 2000 with the Peoria Chiefs of the Class A Midwest League and batted .324 with 32 doubles, 17 home runs, and 84 RBIs, earning quick advancement to the Carolina League and Memphis of the Pacific Coast League to finish out the year. He primarily played third base in his quick rise through the minors. Entering 2001 he was expected to be a reserve for the Cardinals but played his way into the lineup. He started out fast by driving in 27 RBIs in April on the way to batting .329 with a .403 on-base percentage, 47 doubles, 37 home runs, and 130 RBIs. In addition to his hitting prowess, Pujols displayed versatility in filling four positions, primarily appearing at third base, first base, and in the outfield. He received NL Rookie of the Year honors in addition to being an All-Star and placing fourth in league MVP voting. Playing primarily in left field in 2002 following his outstanding rookie season, Pujols again produced impressively at the plate, batting .314 with a .394 on-base percentage along with 40 doubles, 34 home runs, and 127 RBIs. He placed second in league MVP voting. Settling in at first base in 2003, Pujols was an All-Star for the second time as he topped the National League in runs scored (137), hits (212), doubles (51), batting (.359), and total bases (394). He again was the runner-up for MVP in the NL and received a Silver Slugger. He also proved to be a good fit defensively at first base (defense had been considered the weakest aspect of his game in the earliest part of his career). The Cardinals topped the NL Central and won the league pennant in 2004 as Pujols again led the NL in runs scored (133) and total bases (389) to go along with 51 doubles, 46 home runs, 123 RBIs, a .331 average,.415 OBP, and a .657 slugging percentage. This time he placed third in MVP balloting. In the postseason Pujols was the MVP of the NLCS win over Houston with his .500 average, 4 home runs, and 9 RBIs in the seven games. St. Louis again won the NL Central title in 2005 but came up short against Houston in the NLCS. Pujols topped the league in runs scored (129) while batting .330 with 41 home runs, 117 RBIs, a .430 OBP, and a .609 slugging percentage. This time he also gained selection as the NL MVP. The Cardinals topped the NL Central in 2006 with a mediocre 83-78 record, which was only the fifth best in the league, and went on to win the NL pennant and the World Series. Pujols had a typically productive season, leading the league in slugging (.671) while hitting .331 with 49 home runs, 137 RBIs, and a .431 OBP. He even received a Gold Glove for his defensive performance at first base while placing second in league MVP voting. In a down year for the team in 2007 in the wake of the championship season, Pujols remained a steady force in the lineup batting .327 with 32 home runs, 103 RBIs, a .429 OBP, and a .568 slugging percentage. Pujols received MVP recognition for a second time in 2008 as he hit .357 with 44 doubles, 37 home runs, 116 RBIs, a .462 OBP, and NL-leading totals in slugging (.653) and total bases (342).

2009 Season Summary

Appeared in 160 games

1B – 159, PH – 2, DH – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 700 [5]

At Bats – 568

Runs – 124 [1]

Hits – 186 [6]

Doubles – 45 [2]

Triples – 1

Home Runs – 47 [1]

RBI – 135 [3]

Bases on Balls – 115 [3]

Int. BB – 44 [1]

Strikeouts – 64

Stolen Bases – 16

Caught Stealing – 4

Average - .327 [3]

OBP - .443 [1]

Slugging Pct. - .658 [1]

Total Bases – 374 [1]

GDP – 23 [5, tied with Adrian Gonzalez]

Hit by Pitches – 9 [16, tied with eight others]

Sac Hits – 0

Sac Flies – 8 [9, tied with four others]

League-leading runs scored were +11 ahead of runner-up Ryan Braun

League-leading home runs were +1 ahead of runner-up Prince Fielder

League-leading int. bases on balls drawn were +22 ahead of runner-up Adrian Gonzalez

League-leading OBP was +.017 ahead of runner-up Nick Johnson

League-leading slugging percentage was +.056 ahead of runner-up Prince Fielder

League-leading total bases were +18 ahead of runner-up Prince Fielder

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 22, HR – 32, RBI – 87, AVG - .332, SLG – .723, OBP – .456

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 4 AB) vs. Pittsburgh 5/6, (in 5 AB) at KC Royals 6/21, (in 5 AB) at NY Mets 8/4 – 10 innings

Longest hitting streak – 12 games

Most HR, game – 2 on ten occasions

HR at home – 22

HR on road – 25

Multi-HR games – 10

Most RBIs, game – 7 vs. Houston 4/11

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 2 (.500) with 1 HR & 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances – 1671

Put Outs – 1473

Assists – 185

Errors – 13

DP - 150

Pct. - .992

Postseason Batting: 3 G (NLDS vs. LA Dodgers)

PA – 13, AB – 10, R – 0, H – 3, 2B – 0,3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 1, BB – 3, IBB – 3, SO – 1, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .300, OBP - .462, SLG -.300, TB – 3, GDP – 0, HBP – 0, SH – 0, SF – 0

Awards & Honors:

NL MVP: BBWAA

MLB Player of the Year: Sporting News

Silver Slugger

All-Star (Started for NL at 1B)

Top 5 in NL MVP Voting:

Albert Pujols, StL.: 448 points – 32 of 32 first place votes, 100% share

Hanley Ramirez, Fla.: 233 points – 52% share

Ryan Howard, Phila.: 217 points – 48% share

Prince Fielder, Mil.: 203 points – 45% share

Troy Tulowitzki, Col.: 172 points – 38% share

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The Cardinals went 91-71 to finish first in the NL Central Division by 7.5 games over the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals led the NL Central or stayed in close contention from the season’s start, but the hitting declined in September, not denying the club a division title, but presaging postseason defeat. Lost NLDS to the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3 games to 0.

Aftermath of 2009:

With the Cardinals trying to lock up their star first baseman with a contract extension (which failed) Pujols had another excellent season in 2010, topping the NL in runs scored (115), home runs (42), and RBIs (118) while hitting .312 with a .414 OBP and .596 slugging percentage. He placed second in league MVP voting. The wild card-qualifying Cardinals won the NL pennant and the World Series in 2011 with Pujols contributing 37 home runs, 99 RBIs, a .299 average, .366 OBP, and .541 slugging percentage. He had a three-home run, 6-RBI performance in Game 3 of the World Series against Texas. A free agent in the offseason, he rejected a 10-year, $210 million offer from the Cardinals and signed with the Los Angeles Angels for 10 years and $254 million. Off to a slow start with his new club in 2012 that had home fans booing him, he rallied to finish at .285 with 50 doubles, 30 home runs, 105 RBIs, a.343 OBP, and a .516 slugging percentage. In the offseason he had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. Pujols followed up with a poor season in 2013 in which a foot injury limited him to 99 games and he hit .258 with 17 home runs, 64 RBIs, and a .330 OBP. He was utilized primarily as a Designated Hitter. Pujols performed better in 2014, appearing more regularly at first base and batting .272 with 37 doubles, 28 home runs, 105 RBIs, and a .324 OBP. Hitting well in 2015, Pujols was among the American League’s home run leaders in June and was an All-Star for the only time with the Angels. Although hindered by a foot injury that required offseason surgery, he hit .244 for the year with 40 home runs, 95 RBIs, and a .307 OBP while appearing in 157 games (95 at first base and 62 as a DH due to the foot injury). Primarily a DH in 2016, Pujols batted .268 with 31 home runs, 119 RBIs, and a .323 on-base percentage. He had one last 100-RBI season in 2017 (totaling 101) and his production continued to dwindle until he was dealt to the Dodgers during the 2021 season. A free agent in the offseason Pujols returned to the Cardinals for one last season in 2022 where, with the universal DH now in play, the 42-year-old could continue to contribute with his bat, overcoming a slow first half of the season to hit .270 with 24 home runs, 68 RBIs, a.345 OBP, and a .550 slugging percentage. Upon retirement, for his major league career Pujols batted .296 with 3384 hits that included 686 doubles, 16 triples, and 703 home runs. He scored 1914 runs and compiled 2218 RBIs and drew 1373 walks. His OBP was .374 and his slugging percentage .544. Usually able to make contact during his at bats, his strikeout total of 1404 included no 100-strikeout seasons, a rarity for sluggers in the modern era. With the Cardinals his totals were a .326 batting average with 2156 hits, 469 doubles, 15 triples, 451 home runs, 1349 RBIs, a .417 OBP, a .614 slugging percentage, and 1003 walks drawn. Pujols appeared in 88 postseason games and hit .319 with 19 home runs and 54 RBIs. An 11-time All-Star, he received six Silver Sluggers. Along with winning three MVP awards, he finished in the top 10 eleven times. 

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MVP Profiles feature players in the National or American leagues who were winners of the Chalmers Award (1911-14), League Award (1922-29), or Baseball Writers’ Association of America Award (1931 to present) as Most Valuable Player. 

Rookie of the Year: Chris Coghlan, 2009

Outfielder, Florida Marlins

Age:  24 (June 18)

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 6’0”    Weight: 195 

Prior to 2009:

First drafted as an amateur by the Arizona Diamondbacks out of Tarpon Springs, Florida’s East Lake High School in 2003, Coghlan chose to attend the Univ. of Mississippi instead where he played third base and achieved All-SEC honors in 2006. Drafted in the first round by the Marlins in ’06 (36^th overall) he batted .297 that year with teams at the Rookie and Class A levels and then .325 with Greensboro of the Class A South Atlantic League in 2007. Following a season with Carolina of the Class AA Southern League in 2008, where he was named to the league All-Star team. Coghlan was hitting .344 at Class AAA New Orleans in 2009 prior to being called up to the Marlins in May where he was installed in left field.

2009 Season Summary

Appeared in 128 games

LF – 123, PH – 6, 2B-1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Batting

Plate Appearances – 565

At Bats – 504

Runs – 84

Hits – 162

Doubles – 31

Triples – 6 [19, tied with six others]

Home Runs – 9

RBI – 47

Bases on Balls – 53

Int. BB – 2

Strikeouts – 77

Stolen Bases – 8

Caught Stealing – 5

Average - .321 [6]

OBP - .390 [12, tied with David Wright]

Slugging Pct. - .460

Total Bases – 232

GDP – 3

Hit by Pitches – 4

Sac Hits – 3

Sac Flies – 1

Midseason snapshot: 2B – 10, 3B – 1, HR - 2, RBI - 15, AVG. - .245, OBP – .342

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Most hits, game – 4 (in 5 AB) at Toronto 6/12, (in 6 AB) at Philadelphia 8/9, (in 4 AB) at Cincinnati 9/17

Longest hitting streak – 14 games

Most HR, game – 2 (in 4 AB) vs. NY Mets 8/27

HR at home – 5

HR on road – 4

Multi-HR games – 1

Most RBIs, game – 3 at Milwaukee 5/13, vs. Colorado 8/16

Pinch-hitting – 1 for 5 (.200) with 1 HR & 1 RBI

Fielding

Chances - 217

Put Outs – 209

Assists – 3

Errors – 5

DP – 1

Pct. – .977

Awards & Honors:

NL Rookie of the Year: BBWAA

28^th in NL MVP voting, tied with Jeremy Affeldt, SF & Brad Hawpe, Col. (1 point, 0% share)

NL ROY Voting (Top 5):

Chris Coghlan, Fla.: 105 points – 17 of 32 first place votes, 66% share

J.A. Happ, Phila.: 94 points – 10 first place votes, 59% share

Tommy Hanson, Atl.: 37 points – 2 first place votes, 23% share

Andrew McCutchen, Pitt.: 25 points – 2 first place votes, 16% share

Casey McGehee, Mil.: 18 points – 1 first place vote, 11% share

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Marlins went 87-75 to finish second in the NL Eastern Division, 6 games behind the division-winning Philadelphia Phillies. The Marlins started fast with a 14-8 April and led the NL East until May 5. A 9-20 May knocked them down to fourth where they remained until mid-June. 46-44 at the All-Star break, a 41-31 second half led to a second-place finish, five games behind Colorado in the wild card race.

Aftermath of 2009:

Coghlan suffered a knee injury in 2010 that required surgery and he batted just .268 in 91 games. Injuries continued to limit his appearances until he was let go by the Marlins following the 2013 season. He caught on with the Chicago Cubs in 2014 as a utility player and hit .283 while playing in 105 games in the outfield. He hit .250 with 16 home runs and 41 RBIs in 148 games in 2015 and was traded to Oakland just prior to the 2016 season and appeared in 51 games with the A’s, playing at second and third base as well as the outfield. Coghlan was dealt back to the Cubs in June and appeared in the postseason that included the first World Series title for the team since 1908. He signed with the Phillies in 2017 and was released during spring training. Catching on with the Toronto Blue Jays he became a highlight favorite for his leap over St. Louis catcher Yadier Molina to score a run but otherwise hit only .200 while appearing in 36 games. Bouncing around the minors until 2018, his ultimately disappointing playing career came to an end at age 33. For his major league career, Coghlan batted .258 with 666 hits that included 149 doubles, 26 triples, and 53 home runs. He scored 353 runs and compiled 234 RBIs, 47 stolen bases, and a .334 OBP while drawing 275 walks. In 15 postseason games with the Cubs, Coghlan hit .053 (1 for 19).

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Rookie of the Year Profiles feature players who were recipients of the Rookie of the Year Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1947 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1948 and from 1949 on to one recipient from each major league.  

Cy Young Profile: Tim Lincecum, 2009

Pitcher, San Francisco Giants

 

Age:  25 (June 15)

3^rd season with Giants

Bats – Left, Throws – Right

Height: 5’11” Weight: 170

Prior to 2009:

Born in Bellevue, Washington, Lincecum was small and wiry growing up. Only 4’11” when he entered Renton’s Liberty High School he was surprisingly strong for his small stature. A growth spurt had him at nearly a foot taller by the time he was a junior and became a varsity pitcher. With a unique windup that resolved in a long stride forward on the mound prior to release, Lincecum compiled a 4-2 record in that first varsity season with a 0.73 ERA and 86 strikeouts over the course of 49 innings. He was 12-1 for a state championship team as a senior and he passed up an offer from the Chicago Cubs, who selected him in the 2003 amateur draft, to attend the Univ. of Washington. He continued his development in college and received the Golden Spikes Award as the nation’s best collegiate player in 2006, when he pitched 125.1 innings and posted a 12-4 tally with a 1.94 ERA and 199 strikeouts. He was the tenth overall selection by the Giants in that year’s amateur draft and Lincecum signed for a $2.025 million bonus. Playing for two teams at the Class A level in ’06 he pitched 31.2 innings and went 2-0 with a 1.71 ERA and 58 strikeouts. He advanced to Fresno of the Class AAA Pacific Coast League in 2007 and in five games posted a 4-0 record and 0.29 ERA with 46 strikeouts. Called up to the Giants in May Lincecum took over the spot in the rotation of injured RHP Russ Ortiz and compiled a 7-5 tally with a 4.00 ERA and 150 strikeouts in 146.1 innings pitched. Able to throw consistently at high velocity from his odd windup and despite his slender frame, his repertoire included a four-seam fastball, curve, changeup, and slider. Posting an 18-5 record in 2008 with a 2.62 ERA and league-leading 265 strikeouts, the pitcher known as “The Freak” received his first NL Cy Young Award.

2009 Season Summary

Appeared in 33 games

P – 32, PR – 1

[Bracketed numbers indicate NL rank in Top 20]

Pitching

Games – 32

Games Started – 32 [18, tied with six others]

Complete Games – 4 [1, tied with Matt Cain]

Wins – 15 [4, tied with seven others]

Losses – 7

PCT - .682 [5]

Saves – 0

Shutouts – 2 [1, tied with four others]

Innings Pitched – 225.1 [3]

Hits – 168

Runs – 69

Earned Runs – 62

Home Runs – 10

Bases on Balls – 68 [15, tied with John Lannan]

Strikeouts – 261 [1]

ERA – 2.48 [2]

Hit Batters – 6

Balks – 0

Wild Pitches – 11 [6, tied with six others]

 

League-leading strikeouts were +23 ahead of runner-up Javier Vazquez

 

Midseason Snapshot: 10-2, ERA - 2.33, SO - 149 in 127.2 IP

 

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Most strikeouts, game – 15 (in 9 IP) vs. Pittsburgh 7/27

10+ strikeout games – 8

Fewest hits allowed, game (min. 7 IP) – 2 (in 9 IP) at St. Louis 6/29, (in 7 IP) vs. Arizona 10/1

Batting

PA – 86, AB – 66, R – 8, H – 10, 2B – 1, 3B – 0, HR – 0, RBI – 3, BB – 6, SO – 36, SB – 0, CS – 0, AVG - .152, GDP – 1, HBP – 0, SH – 13, SF – 1

Fielding

Chances – 40

Put Outs – 13

Assists – 25

Errors – 2

DP – 3

Pct. - .950

Awards & Honors:

NL Cy Young Award: BBWAA

NL Pitcher of the Year: Sporting News

All-Star (Starting P for NL)

18^th in NL MVP voting, tied with Shane Victorino, Phila. (8 points, 2% share)

NL Cy Young voting:

Tim Lincecum, SF: 100 pts. – 11 of 32 first place votes, 63% share

Chris Carpenter, StL.: 94 pts. – 9 first place votes, 59% share

Adam Wainwright, StL.: 90 pts. – 12 first place votes, 56% share

Javier Vazquez, Atl.: 3 pts. – 2% share

Dan Haren, Ariz.: 1 pt. – 1% share

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Giants went 88-74 to finish third in the NL Western Division, 7 games behind the division-winning Los Angeles Dodgers. Bolstered by strong pitching, led by Lincecum, the Giants put together a solid 49-39 first half but ended up losing out on a possible wild card playoff slot by fading in September.

Aftermath of ‘09:

With a fine starting rotation that featured Lincecum, RHP Matt Cain, and LHP Jonathan Sanchez, the Giants topped the NL West in 2010 and Lincecum contributed a 16-10 tally with a 3.43 ERA and league-leading 231 strikeouts. He was 3-1 in the postseason, including two wins in the World Series victory over Texas. San Francisco dropped to second place in 2011 and Lincecum’s record fell to 13-14 with a 2.74 ERA and 220 strikeouts, although he was an All-Star for the fourth straight year. Lincecum went 10-15 in 2012 with a 5.18 ERA and 190 strikeouts as the Giants returned to the top of the NL West. He started only one game in the postseason as the club won the NL pennant. Relegated to the bullpen during the World Series sweep of Detroit, he struck out eight of the 16 batters he faced in two relief appearances. He generated another losing record in 2013 at 10-14 although he threw a no-hitter against the Padres at San Diego. His ERA for the season was 4.37 and he struck out 193 batters. In 2014 Lincecum pitched another no-hitter against the Padres, this time at home. Otherwise, it was a season that involved more struggles, that eventually forced his move to the bullpen, on the way to a 12-9 record with a 4.74 ERA, 134 strikeouts, and a league-leading 15 wild pitches. He started out well in 2015 but ended up with a 7-4 tally in just 15 starts and a 4.13 ERA. A free agent in the offseason, he signed with the Los Angeles Angels for 2016. He was a disappointing 2-6 for the Angels with a dreadful 9.16 ERA and spent time back in Class AAA before being let go in August. After sitting out the 2017 season, Lincecum signed with the Texas Rangers in 2018, but went on the disabled list in the spring and never appeared with the Rangers, who released him during the season, thus ending his career. Overall, during his major league career, Lincecum produced a 110-89 record with a 3.74 ERA and 1736 strikeouts over 1682 innings pitched. He was 108-83 with the Giants with a 3.61 ERA and 1704 strikeouts. He further compiled 10 complete games that included 7 shutouts and two no-hitters. In 13 postseason appearances he went 5-2 with a 2.40 ERA and 65 strikeouts over 56.1 innings. In addition to two Cy Young Awards, Lincecum was a four-time All-Star.

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Cy Young Profiles feature pitchers who were recipients of the Cy Young Award by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America (1956 to present). The award was presented to a single major league winner from its inception through 1966 and from 1967 on to one recipient from each major league.