Because of how often it comes up with two out and no one on, Albert Pujols’ third spot is a good place to keep a hitter with a homer-centric profile. Would the Angels be better with a designated hitter who made an out 65% of the time he batted instead of Pujols’ 72.3%? If the Angels had another established power hitter on their roster, I don’t doubt that by now he would have usurped Pujols’ spot. Also, despite his inability to get on base, Pujols continues to drive in runs at an acceptable rate. That 21.8% success rate is better than the league rate of 19.6%, and it’s better than Simmons’, Calhoun’s, and Cron’s rate of driving in baserunners.

Source: Los Angeles Times August 28, 2017 19:30 UTC