Albert Pujols Signs With LA Angels- 2012 Albert Pujols Props
December 8th, 2011 by | Posted in MLB Baseball Comments Off on Albert Pujols Signs With LA Angels- 2012 Albert Pujols PropsIn a shocking move on Thursday, Albert Pujols was announced to sign a new contract reportedly worth over $250 million with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Here at Bankroll Sports, we are breaking down some of the MLB props that have been recently posted, all courtesy of BoDog Sportsbook!
Los Angeles Angels Win Total Over/Under 87.5: Here’s the thing about the Angels on one blush. They have been a relatively average team over the course of the last few years. In the last four years, they have only won more than 82 games once, and now all of a sudden, they are expected to win 88 games in a division that still features an awfully tough Texas Rangers outfit. Pujols immediately becomes the best No. 3 hitter in the game, and the also newly signed CJ Wilson immediately steps into the No. 2 spot in the rotation behind Jered Weaver. But is the rotation better for it? All of a sudden, the dollars have all been spent, and building a bullpen might be difficult. If Wilson, who has gone 31-15 in his last two seasons, can’t figure out how to keep that pace up this year now that he doesn’t have the tremendous Texas lineup and a huge hitter’s ballpark to help him out, we’re really not all that sure. Don’t be shocked if the Angels, who are the toast of the town right now, still don’t turn out to be pretty much a .500 team once again.
Albert Pujols Over/Under 37.5 Home Runs: This past year was the worst of Pujols’ career, as he only hit 37 home runs. He has 445 bombs in his career, and he is sure to at least challenge the all-time home run mark over the course of the end of his career in Tinseltown. Busch Stadium was a place where Pujols was comfortable hitting. The park factor at Busch Stadium ranked No. 26 in the league at .896, runs per game, and that number has decreased now that he is at Angel Stadium on Anaheim to a .836. Not only that, but Miller Park (No. 10), Wrigley Field (No. 23), and PNC Park (No. 17), all of which are stadiums that typically have treated Pujols well in his career have been replaced by parks like the O.co Coliseum (No. 20) and Safeco Field (No. 26). Angel Stadium ranked No. 25 in MLB park factor for home runs this past year. We expect to see Pujols’ home run production dip, especially as he has to get used to a totally new set of pitchers.
Will Albert Pujols Win the AL MVP Award?: We’re only getting 3 to 1 odds at this point on Pujols, and they certainly aren’t worth backing. For one, we’re really not all that sure that Pujols is going to be playing on a playoff team, which generally eliminates players from MVP consideration. The truth of the matter as well, is that this isn’t likely to be another season in which there just aren’t any MVP candidates in the AL. Players like Miguel Cabrera, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, and all of the big bats on the Boston Red Sox are going to have to shine eventually. Pujols will probably need 45 home runs, a .320 batting average, and 130 RBIs to be the MVP in the American League, and we aren’t willing to only take 3 to 1 on that happening.
