With the Cardinals officially eliminated from the playoffs, that means Albert Pujols’s career has officially come to an end. The legendary slugger said before the season that this would be his last year in the league, and he plans on sticking to that plan.
Many people within the league are taking the time to say goodbye to Pujols, with the latest being one of the biggest stars in the sport. Angels outfielder Mike Trout took to Instagram to say goodbye to his former teammate.
“I hope you dominate this next phase of life as much as you dominated the MLB,” he wrote. “It’s been an honor to watch you, learn from you and play beside you.”
Pujols played with Trout in Los Angeles for the entirety of his Angels contract, as 2012 was both of their first full seasons with the team. Together they combined for 13 seasons with at least 20 home runs, but only led the Angels to the playoffs once in 2014.
After spending years as the best hitter in the game, Pujols arguably passed that baton to Trout in 2014. It is rare for a player like Trout to get to learn from a player like Pujols at any point, let alone for 10 years, but the two appeared to develop a great relationship as teammates in Los Angeles.
