Albert Pujols shares that Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City is his favorite place to hit home runs due to its proximity to his hometown. He credits his veteran teammates and coaches for shaping his career and continues to influence baseball as a mentor and ambassador.
Key points
Albert Pujols' favorite stadium is Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.
Hitting home runs there is special to him because of its proximity to his hometown.
He credits veteran teammates and coaches for his career development.
Pujols remains active in baseball as a manager and mentor.
He is an ambassador for MLB's Playing with Heart campaign.
Albert Pujols says hitting home runs at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium was special because it was near his hometown
The two-time World Series champion credits veteran teammates and coaches for shaping his career and leadership style
Pujols continues to impact baseball post-retirement as a manager, mentor and ambassador for MLB's Playing with Heart campaign
Albert Pujols hit over 700 home runs during his 22-season career, but there was one place where he loved hitting them the most.
When asked which stadiums were his favorite to play in, the 46-year-old tells PEOPLE, "Kansas City, Kauffman Stadium, because growing up in the area in Kansas City, playing in front of my family, it always brought the best out of me."
The two-time champion says one of his favorite memories from his career was "hitting three home runs" in a single World Series game in 2011.
"I was the third one to do it in the World Series. Later on, Pablo Sandoval ended up doing it a year after me," he says.
Similarly, his career highlight was "playing in the World Series and getting a chance to win a World Series because that's what you play for."
"There are so many baseball players who wore a uniform in the big leagues and never got the opportunity to even get into the playoffs. Imagine winning a World Series; that's just hard to do," he says.
Q&A
What did Albert Pujols say about his favorite stadium?
Albert Pujols stated that Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City is his favorite stadium to play in because it is close to his hometown.
How has Albert Pujols contributed to baseball after retirement?
Post-retirement, Albert Pujols continues to impact baseball as a manager, mentor, and ambassador for MLB's Playing with Heart campaign.
What memories does Albert Pujols have from his career?
Albert Pujols revealed that hitting home runs at Kauffman Stadium holds special memories for him due to its significance related to his hometown.
Who influenced Albert Pujols' career and leadership style?
Albert Pujols credits his veteran teammates and coaches for shaping his career and developing his leadership style.
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Albert Pujols playing for the LA DodgersCredit: Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty
Albert Pujols playing for the LA Dodgers
Credit: Rob Leiter/MLB Photos via Getty
"Those are moments that you take with you, with your teammates, with your family, and you get to enjoy it," he continues. "Those are the things that have impacted my career, and so many other players that I play against and with."
Pujols won two World Series with the St. Louis Cardinals, first in 2006 and then again in 2011.
He credits his long career to "the help that I got from my coaches, my manager, my support from my family, my teammates."
"God gives you the ability and the talent to play this game, but at the end of the day, you have to really do your work and lean on the veteran guys. And I had so many great guys, especially early in my career, when I was in St. Louis, they helped me out," he shares.
"Placido Polanco, Edgar Renteria, Darryl Kile, Gene Edmonds, just the way that those guys prepared themself, I think it helped me out to do the same," he shares.
One of the things that Pujols wasn't shy about during his career was "asking questions."
"Sometimes when you get to the big leagues, you feel shy about asking questions. I wasn't that player," he notes. "I was a player who wanted to send the message that I'm here to stay, and I don't wanna go down to the minors. That's what I did. I was asking questions and trying to get better and learning at the same time from my mistakes that I made as a baseball player."
He continues, "Through experience, as a baseball player, you learn from your mistakes and that all the players are gonna make it as well, and you try to help them out before they do make that mistake, make sure they don't make it. I was 21 years old and had so many veteran guys around me, it really shaped me and my game, my lifestyle, and everything because of how I had so many great leaders in the clubhouse."
Throughout his career, Pujols played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers, and no matter where he was, he made an effort to serve as a resource for other young players.
"We don't have to do it, but I think because I feel that it's part of the responsibility, we have to, and for me, it was part of growing up in the game along with a great baseball player that really shaped me to become the man that I am today," he tells PEOPLE.
Watching the younger talent develop and continue to improve the game has been exciting for Pujols, who points to players like Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani and more as standouts.
"I had an opportunity, in the World Baseball Classic, to have Fernando Tatis Jr. He's a pretty special player. Ronald Acuna, Bryce Harper, you got so many superstars in the game," Pujols says.
"I just love the game of baseball, and anytime there's a game, I try to watch as much as I can to learn and to keep up with some of these guys," he shares. "I also sometimes work in Major League Baseball and break down some of these players. I want to make sure I see as much as I can, so when it's time to talk about one of these players, I have an idea of what kind of season they're having."
Albert Pujols in the Home Run DerbyCredit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty
Albert Pujols in the Home Run Derby
Credit: Kevork Djansezian/Getty
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Pujols, who played in the first World Baseball Classic in 2006, was the manager for the Dominican Republic team in the 2026 tournament and led them to a semifinal finish.
"Playing against the United States, playing against Venezuela, that was amazing," he says. "It was a great tournament, too. It was a great memory. I know that everybody focused on winning the title. Listen, that's what we all want, but sometimes, losing, you can also learn from it."
"That experience and the great vibe that we have, our team that was representing our country this year was probably one of the best," Pujols adds.
Since retiring in 2022, Pujols continues to impact the game of baseball and, most recently, was named National Ambassador for Merck and the MLB's new Playing with Heart campaign, focusing on raising awareness around high cholesterol and heart disease.
