Albert Pujols – Most Feared Hitter

With Barry Bonds out of baseball (for now at least), who is the most feared hitter in baseball? Jayson Stark of ESPN talked to all 30 managers and the overwhelming choice was Albert Pujols. The St. Louis Cardinals slugger leaves managers shaking in their boots. Here is an excerpt from the article:

It was actually Sir Albert who inspired this entire project — when a scout who had been following the Cardinals observed one day: “It’s beyond me why anybody ever pitches to that first baseman.”

Pujols has finished in the top four in the NL in intentional walks three years in a row. But this year, as the offensive cast around him thins, he’s tied for the league lead with Ryan Howard — and is on a 46-intentional-walk pace.

Just to put that in perspective, if he does get to 46, he’d be only the third player in history to get that many free journeys to first (joining only Bonds and Willie McCovey).

So Pujols was such a clear-cut pick in this poll that even his own manager (Tony La Russa) and one American League manager (Jim Leyland) voted for him.

Currently, Pujols is giving managers reason to be scared. He’s hitting .377 with four homers and 17 RBIs. In the polling, Pujols got nearly three times as many votes as any other player.

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