with the Cardinals. After the season was finished, Pujols was awarded the Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award, along with Justin Verlander. Playing style Pujols' swing has been praised for its consistency. "It's the same swing every time," former teammate Lance Berkman once said. "He has the ability to repeat his swing over and over and over, which leads to him being very consistent," Cardinals' video coordinator Chad Blair said. Sports Illustrated writer Daniel G. Habib described the swing as "quick" and "quiet". Pujols uses a 32.5-ounce bat against right-handed pitchers, but he uses a 33-ounce bat against left-handers to avoid trying to pull the ball when he swings. He has credited his hitting ability partly to learning what pitchers will do in certain counts and situations: Accomplishments and accolades Pujols is second in major league history in runs batted in and total bases behind only Hank Aaron. He and Aaron are the only two players to amass 3,000 hits, 700 home runs, and 2,200 RBIs. Only two other players (Stan Musial and Willie Mays) have surpassed 6,000 total bases. Pujols hit home runs off of a record 458 different pitchers over the course of his career, and is fourth in career home runs and fifth in doubles. In 2009, Pujols set the major league single-season record for assists by a first baseman with 185. Pujols is the all-time leader in double plays hit into. One of the reasons Pujols hit into so many double plays in his career is that he was one of the best hitters ever at making contact. In an age when seasons of 150+ strikeouts were the norm for sluggers, he never struck out at least 100 times in a season. Pujols, "who will go down as one of the greatest right-handed hitters of all time," became the first player to produce four hits and two homers in a single game at the age of 42 or older in August 2022. Given his career achievements, Pujols is widely expected to be inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2028, the first year in which he becomes eligible. Pujols has earned praise from many of his fellow players and coaches. In 2008, he was named the most feared hitter in baseball in a poll of all 30 MLB managers. La Russa has called him "the best player I've ever managed." Division rival Joey