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Since taking the National League by storm in 2001, Albert Pujols remains one of the greatest players on the baseball diamond today; possibly even of all time. His staggering numbers and achievements have almost single-handedly pushed the St. Louis Cardinals to the upper-tier of the NL year after year. The Cardinals won the Central Division six times, the NL Pennant twice and the World Series once with Pujols manning first base. After a disappointing 2009 postseason performance where they were swept by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Pujols and company anticipate a quick return to their rightful place atop the NL Central.

Pujols has one of the most impressive resumes in baseball, with his list of seemingly endless milestones and awards dwarfing that of nearly every other player in the game. He began with the NL Rookie of the Year award in ‘01 and never looked back on his way to eight All-Star selections, five Silver Slugger Awards, one Gold Glove, three NL MVPs and a World Series Championship.

While winning his second consecutive MVP last season, Pujols stacked incredible numbers for the Cardinals, proving to be the biggest threat on the field in a variety of different situations. He ranked first in runs scored, home runs, on-base plus slugging (OPS), and on-base percentage (OBP), while in the top three for batting average, RBIs and walks. Pitchers are left with no saving grace, as he found a way on base more than any other player in the NL.

Postseason failure is one of the largest criticisms of highly paid baseball stars, as some aren’t able to handle the enormous stress and pressure as effectively as they did during the regular season. Pujols excels in this category as well, as the Cardinals have made the playoffs six out of nine seasons in his career. With 56 games of experience, he batted .322 with 13 HRs, 36 RBIs and a .431 OBP. The MVP first baseman constantly proves he is head and shoulders above the rest in the superstar pool, extending his success from spring training all the way to the World Series.

Baseball players can notoriously be oft injured, missing games and extensive amounts of time while on the shelf recuperating from an assortment of problems ranging from hamstrings to elbows and shoulders. Pujols, however, has never failed to play less than 143 games in his nine years with St. Louis, always answering his team’s call when they need him the most. His problematic right elbow was recently cleaned up by Dr. James Andrews, who confirmed that he shouldn’t ever have to go through the potentially career-altering Tommy John surgery on his ligament. Even some of the most durable players in the league fall victim to injury or surgery at some point, but he remains one superstar that manages to find his way above everyone else. His near superhuman consistency has created incredible numbers for someone that is only 30 years old. So far, Pujols has amassed 366 HRs and 1,112 RBIs to go with his career batting average of .334 in nearly 1,400 games played.

After dominating performances over the past two seasons, there aren’t any reasons Pujols’ triumphs and influence on the Cardinals shouldn’t continue. With starting pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright both coming off career seasons and winning 36 games combined, St. Louis has a fantastic start to their powerful rotation. They also locked up outfielder Matt Holliday with a seven-year, $120 million deal to provide an added push to the already prolific run support generated by Pujols. With the current potential running deep through the Cardinal organization, it’s no wonder he isn’t worried about a new contract just yet, as his focus is clearly 100 percent on winning another championship for the St. Louis faithful.