Cardinals Legend Albert Pujols Welcomed Back Like a Hero in St. Louis

Cardinals fans still love Albert Pujols.

Oct 8, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Albert Pujols (5) awaits a pitch in the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies during game two of the Wild Card series for the 2022 MLB Playoffs at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals won a crucial series on Sunday night over the Chicago Cubs, improving to 31-26 on the season and remaining in second place in the National League Central to finish the month of May. 2026 has been a fun season so far in St. Louis, and with June underway, the time has come to see if the Cardinals are legitimate.

The Cardinals and Cubs were the Sunday night game on Peacock, and the broadcast crew featured none other than franchise legend and three-time National League MVP Albert Pujols.

During a break in the action, the Cardinals camera crew panned to the broadcast booth to show Pujols, and the crowd reacted accordingly, giving him a nice standing ovation.

Pujols still well-loved in St. Louis

Oct 1, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals former player Albert Pujols speaks at a retirement ceremony for starting pitcher Adam Wainwright (not pictured) before a game against the Cincinnati Reds at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Pujols broke into the Major Leagues with St. Louis in 2001 after being drafted two years earlier. In addition to his three MVP awards, he was the NL Rookie of the Year in '01, a six-time Silver Slugger, two-time Gold Glove winner, batting champion, NLCS MVP, Comeback Player of the Year and Clemente award winner.

10 of Pujols' 11 All-Star selections also came in St. Louis, and he won two World Series titles playing under Tony La Russa. He will be inducted into the Cardinals Hall of Fame this coming September alongside fellow franchise legend and current coach Yadier Molina.

Despite departing St. Louis after the 2011 season, Pujols returned for his final season in 2022, and there was no love lost. And to this day, Cardinals fans love Pujols. Nicknamed "The Machine", the future Hall of Famer hit 703 career home runs and has an entire section at Busch Stadium dedicated to those home runs.

But fans got a nice treat on Sunday when they got to see one of the greatest players in Major League Baseball history make his return to Busch Stadium for the first time since 2023, when he made a speech at Adam Wainwright's retirement ceremony.

Though he may work for the Los Angeles Angels now, Pujols will always be remembered as one of the finest players to wear the birds on the bat and will be loved in St. Louis forever, and this won't even be his final trip to St. Louis in 2026.

Before long, he will likely have his iconic No. 5 retired and a statue built for him outside of Busch Stadium. Pujols helped shape the modern Cardinals into a powerhouse when he broke into the big leagues, and he will always be fondly remembered for that.