St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols. (Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
If Martin Maldonado and the Astros go on to win the World Series, they may have Cardinals legend Albert Pujols to thank for it.
Astros catcher Martin Maldonado wants to have every edge possible going into the 2022 World Series. So he turned to one of the all-time greats for help.
Now, if things go right for the Astros, Albert Pujols could be responsible for delivering a World Series to Houston.
That’s because Maldonado apparently reached out to Pujols ahead of the World Series to acquire some high-quality bats.
Albert Pujols sent Martin Maldonado bats for the World Series
According to Buster Olney, Maldonado requested the bats from Pujols because the Cardinals’ star gets access to the best quality stuff. Pujols, who played with Maldonado with the Angels in 2017 and 2018, delivered with six or so bats.
We’ll have to see if Maldonado thrives with those Pujols-blessed bats or if he falters under their weight.
Early signs were good for the catcher. His first at-bat in Game 1 resulted in a second-inning RBI single. It was a clutch hit with runners on the corners for a player who has often been accused of shrinking in the big moments. Delivering a run in the World Series definitely helps to quiet that kind of talk.
Hitting has never been Maldonado’s strength the way it was for Pujols. He batted .186/.248/.352 in 2022 for the Astros in 2022. However, the 36-year-old did hit a career-high 15 home runs, so things were going right for him at times. Houston would love to see him bring some Pujols-type power to the table in the World Series.
Pujols finished up his career in 2022 by going on a home run hot streak that saw him join the 700 Home Run Club. Despite speculation that he could keep going, he was firm about his intention to retire.
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