RADIO
Albert Pujols Keeps Plugging Along
7 years agoLos Angeles Angels first baseman Albert Pujols only hit .245 last season, posting a career-worst .672 OPS, but did still drive in 101 runs. While the RBI totals are still nice (he has averaged 105 RBI over the last four seasons), that really is all that Pujols provides to fantasy owners. He has not hit .300 since 2011 and has seen his home run total drop from 40 in 2015 to just 21 last season. Pujols has also seen seen his OBP drop in six of the last seven seasons (to .286 last season) and he only scored 53 runs last season. A player known for his elite power and great patience, Pujols only walked in 5.8% of plate appearances last season. In fact, Pujols has struck out more than he has walked in each of his seven seasons with the Angels after walking more than he struck out in each of his last 10 seasons with the Cardinals. Pujols has seen his HR/FB% drop in each of the last three seasons, a big reason why his home run totals have dropped, but his soft hit ball rate actually dropped from 2016 (16.4%) to 2017 (15.9%). He will continue to get RBI opportunities in an improved Angels' lineup, but he also could lose playing time to C.J. Cron at first base. It is wise to pass on Pujols.
