Albert Pujols: Dreadful Start for Superstar Gives Angels Reason to Be Optimistic

To say that Albert Pujols' first month in a Los Angeles Angels uniform has been bad would be an understatement. But it is precisely because of that slow start that he and the franchise should be feeling really good right now. 

There is no way to sugarcoat the numbers that Pujols has put up in his first 126 at-bats in 2012. He has been terrible, at least offensively, in every conceivable way. The three-time National League MVP enters tonight's showdown with the Texas Rangers hitting .198/.235/.286 with one home run and 11 RBI. 

His on-base plus slugging (OPS) of .521 ranks 176th among all qualified players in baseball, behind players like Darwin Barney (.631) and Chone Figgins (.557). 

An ESPN article written on May 5 asked the question, "Has Albert Pujols Hit Rock Bottom?" and presented some telling numbers about his inability to hit off-speed pitches. 

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Much of Pujols’ struggles this season can be attributed to his inability to hit offspeed pitches. He’s hitting .114 this season (5-for-44) against changeups, curveballs and sliders with zero extra-base hits and two RBIs. 

Pujols is chasing 46 percent of off-speed pitches thrown to him outside of the strike zone this season. 

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For all the problems that Pujols has had at the plate this season, and it has not been pretty to watch, things are only going to get better for him and the Angels. 

That might come off as trite, but when you "hit rock bottom," the only place that you can go is up. Is Pujols ever going to be the player he was with the St. Louis Cardinals? Probably not, but he is 32 years old and has a lot of mileage on his body. The things he was doing at 22 aren't going to be as sharp and crisp at 32. 

It is still far too early to judge anything that happens with Pujols, or anyone else for that matter. One 4-for-5 game with two extra-base hits and three RBI will have everyone resting easy. His struggles this year are being compounded because we are so used to him making the game look so easy. 

Unfortunately baseball is very difficult and the fact that he is adjusting to a new league, new ball park and new (better) pitching is going to take time to adjust to. Pujols is too good to let these struggles last all season. 

And the Angels, whose early struggles have left them seven games behind Texas in the American League West, will be right back in the race. This team is not going to struggle all season, neither will Pujols. 

Pujols will figure out American League pitching and play more like the superstar we have seen in the past than the lost slugger who is trying to find his identity with a new team. 

For more analysis on Albert Pujols and directions on how to get to Winterfell, be sure to follow me on Twitter. 

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