Cardinals Got It Right With Albert Pujols, Yadier Molina

The St. Louis Cardinals got it right with the team's 2026 Hall of Fame class.

On Friday, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that both Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina have been elected to the Cardinals' Hall of Fame and will be enshrined in September.

"Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina have been elected to the St. Louis Cardinals' Hall of Fame and will be enshrined in September," Nightengale wrote. "In two years, they will also be inducted together into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown in 2028."

The Cardinals officially announced the news and also shared that Bill Sherdel also has been elected to the club's Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to the 2026 Cardinals Hall of Fame class! pic.twitter.com/rppwcqFmEb
— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) May 1, 2026

The Cardinals Got It Right

Mar 6, 2026; Miami, FL, United States; Dominican Republic manager Albert Pujols (5) looks out at the field before the game against Nicaragua at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Back in February, it was shared that both Molina and Pujols were obvious finalists. At the time, some speculated about whether both team legends would go in together, or if it would end up being a year apart. Arguably, that idea never really made sense. Molina and Pujols were a duo in St. Louis for a while and are two of the biggest reasons why the club was one of the most dominant teams in the league throughout the 2000s.

From 2001 through 2011, Pujols was one of the best overall baseball players on the planet. He played in 1,705 games and slashed .328/.420/.617 with 445 homers and 1,329 RBIs over that stretch. He was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2001 and won three MVP awards before leaving, among many other awards. He returned back in 2022 and had one of the most exciting seasons for the club in recent memory. While he wasn't tearing the cover off the ball like he once did, he hit 24 homers and drove in 68 RBIs before hanging up his cleats. But, more importantly, he gave the Cardinals fanbase — and the baseball world in general — a thrill as he chased and ultimately reached the 700-homer mark for his career.

Albert Pujols joining the 700 HR club still gives me chills pic.twitter.com/LcaJcn1Yme
— Baseball Quotes (@BaseballQuotes1) December 13, 2025

Molina, on the other hand, spent his entire 19-year MLB career in St. Louis. He was a 10-time All-Star, two-time World Series champion and nine-time Gold Glove Award winner throughout his career in St. Louis.

Molina went from being a fourth-round pick to one of the greatest overall catchers in Major League Baseball history, not just Cardinals history. Also, this is a guy who is still with the organization, although now in a different role than playing. Molina is St. Louis through and through.

These two had to be included together. How could you have kept either out for a year with all that they did throughout their careers? Simply put, the Cardinals got it right avoiding that idea all together.

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