Cardinals Hall of Fame Ballot Includes Two Franchise Legends

They were fan favorites while in St. Louis.

Sep 11, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; A detailed view of the 9/11 ribbon on a St. Louis Cardinals hat in the dugout before the game against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals may be rebuilding, but that won't stop them from honoring some of the greatest players and moments in their franchise history. The team has won 11 World Series titles and 19 National League pennants, and there's always a time to celebrate the greatness that comes with the Cardinals and their history.

Every summer, several notable players, coaches or executives are inducted into the team's Hall of Fame. This year's induction will take place on September 12. Fans are allowed to choose one of the several inductees.

The team revealed this year's ballot, and on the list are franchise icons Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.

Pujols, Molina up for Cards' HOF induction

Oct 2, 2022; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Albert Pujols (5) celebrates with catcher Yadier Molina (4) after hitting a solo home run for his 702nd career home run during the third inning against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Pujols made his Major League debut in 2001 and was the National League Rookie of the Year. He was also an 11-time All-Star and three-time MVP. He was with St. Louis until 2011 before leaving for the Los Angeles Angels, but after that contract was up, he returned to St. Louis for his final season in 2022.

Molina played his entire career in St. Louis from 2004-22. He was a 10-time All-Star and nine-time Gold Glove award winner. The two were teammates in 2006 and 2011 when the Cardinals won their 10th and 11th World Series titles.

The Cardinals were in the postseason for all but three of Pujols and Molina's seasons together. Some of Pujols' greatest moments include his clutch home run off of Brad Lidge in the 2005 NLCS, a three-homer performance in Game 3 of the 2011 World Series and his 700th career home run in 2022.

Molina's signature moments came during the 2006 postseason. He is best remembered for his home run off of Aaron Heilman in Game 7 of the NLCS against the New York Mets and being behind the plate when Adam Wainwright stuck out Carlos Beltran to end the series.

He picked up his 2,000th career hit with the Cardinals in 2020, but is also remembered as arguably the greatest defensive catcher in team history. He had a knack for throwing out base stealers and even dared Jose Siri to run on him in a spring training game, which ended as many expected it would.

Molina and Wainwright also set an MLB record with 328 starts together as a battery. It's possible that both Pujols and Molina could be inducted this year. The two shared several unforgettable moments in Cardinals threads.

The class of 2026 will be revealed in May.