Albert Pujols and Robinson Cano = Bust?

[Young 8]

It's still way too early to say he won't put up 1st round numbers.

.

we are saying that he won't put 1st pick OVERALL numbers....not 1st round pick

[visgc]

The Cards offense is the worst in the league. Pujols has no protection what so ever.

Most of the time the lineup goes like this:
Kennedy or Taguchi
Duncan
Pujols
Spiezio

I dont think Ive ever seen anyone sandwiched between such horrible hitters ever in my life. The Cards have no pitching and no batting. Pujols is in for a very long season and IF he ever does snap out of this horrible funk, he will get walked every at bat. I feel so bad for him.

The lineup never goes like that, It's usually:

Eckstein (lately Kennedy)
Duncan
Pujols
Rolen/Edmonds
Edmonds/Rolen
Speizio (Encarnacion just got back)
Molina
Kennedy (lately Eck)
P

Everyone but Molina is hitting significantly below their career averages and slugging percentages. A case can be made that Edmonds is finished and that Eck and Kennedy are in the declining stages of their careers. Everyone else is just slumping. This isn't one of the best lineups, but it isn't one of the worst either. Pujols will bat runners in and get batted in plenty over the course of the season.

[Yoda]

It's still way too early to say he won't put up 1st round numbers.

.

we are saying that he won't put 1st pick OVERALL numbers....not 1st round pick

Well he didn't put up 1st pick OVERALL numbers either in 06 but he was widely regarded as the top pick in 07.

[IVIisfits138]

It's still way too early to say he won't put up 1st round numbers.

.

we are saying that he won't put 1st pick OVERALL numbers....not 1st round pick

Well he didn't put up 1st pick OVERALL numbers either in 06 but he was widely regarded as the top pick in 07.

Went on the DL for a little last year.

[RedSoxdominate]

I think it's becoming pretty clear that Pujols won't put up first overall numbers, and I for one am pretty ticked off. Of course he has to have a down year the one year I get him. Everyone on the Cafe keeps telling me to be patient, but here we are, almost a quarter of a way through the season and Pujols has half as many HR as J.J. Hardy and a BA. under .250 . Even tonight, I got excited when I saw that the Cards were up 8-1, but then saw Pujols with an 0-2 in the box score. It's becoming routine, for a guy with a .158 average and 2 RBI over the last week. Why Pujols, why?

[WhiteHot]

I doubt Pujols cracks the top 10 First Basemen. The guy has lost his edge after winning the WS...he's just not hungry any more.

[Slow Pitch]

[Young 8]

another 0/5...

[jbauer2485]

Did Pujols really have much protection previous years though? It has to be more than the lack of a decent lineup around him.

[chaseball]

Im not saying that Pujols wont put up 1st round numbers. He is just in a very bad situation right now and unless the Cards bring in some protection for Pujols, he isnt going to put up is career numbers.

The line-up protection theory is one of the biggest misconceptions in baseball. The theory has been debunked by various sabermetricians.

Whether a batter is surrounded by Alex Cora, and Brian Schneider, or by Albert Pujols and David Ortiz, there is no statistical difference in a players independent production.