Skip Schumaker discusses Albert Pujols' final run with Cardinals

Schumaker — who played with Pujols in St. Louis from 2015 through 2012 and then served as the team's bench coach last season — was hired as the Miami Marlins new manager in late October.

If the three-time NL MVP retired during his first-half struggles, he, of course, wouldn't have played long enough to enter the 700-home run club. Pujols rejoined the Cardinals last offseason for what was expected to be a storybook ending to his future Hall of Fame career, but "The Machine" had a rough first half.

For one of the most consistently great hitters in baseball history, Pujols' first- and second-half splits were staggering at 42 years old. In 173 plate appearances covering 53 games before the All-Star break, Pujols hit six home runs and recorded 20 RBI with a .215/.301/.376 slash line but then erupted for 18 home runs and 48 RBI with a .323/.388/.715 slash across 178 plate appearances in 56 contests after the break.

Unsurprisingly, the right-handed batter had more success against lefties, hitting 13 home runs and posting a .351/.400/.746 slash line in 130 plate appearances last season. Pujols hit 11 home runs and registered a .223/.312/.435 slugging percentage against righties.

Now that Pujols is retired, fans will have to patiently wait five years until the 11-time All-Star is enshrined into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.