Dominican Albert Pujols wants to become an MLB manager in the near future

Dominican Albert Pujols is not only an iconic baseball player; He is a player who left an indelible mark in the sport’s history.

With 703 home runs, Pujols ranks fourth with the most home runs in Major League Baseball history, behind Barry Bonds (762), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714).

His legacy transcends any statistics. He is considered one of the five best Latin baseball players ever. A dominant force within the diamond that still keeps its fire lit to continue competing, but now from another place: the dugout.

At 44 years of age, the native of Santo Domingo landed again in a Spring Training field. He will do it for only one week as a guest instructor for the Los Angeles Angels, however the uniform stimulated him again.

“Yes,” Pujols responded to a question asked by the LA Times about his intention to become a Major League manager. “I think, you know, why not? If the opportunity is right one day, I think I’ll be ready for that.” Although he is not yet part of any coaching staff, the Dominican is in his second spring camp with the Angels after signing a contract for $10 million in exchange for post-retirement personal services.

Pujols has been keeping busy since retiring from his active baseball career in 2022. During the last season, he worked as an advisor to Commissioner Rob Manfred’s office. Recently, he has taken on a management role with the Leones del Escogido team in the Dominican Republic, which he has admired since childhood.

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“I think of it as an opportunity to hopefully get a job up here in the big leagues someday,” Pujols said.

During his 22-season career in Major League Baseball, Albert Pujols has become a living legend of the game. He has had the privilege of playing under some of the best managers in baseball history, including Tony La Russa, Mike Scioscia, and Joe Maddon.

Pujols expressed his gratitude for having the opportunity to learn from these great coaches. He considers himself lucky to have worked with Tony La Russa, one of the best managers in the Game. He then moved on to play under another likely future Hall of Fame coach in Scioscia. Joe Maddon and Dave Roberts were also among the great managers Pujols had the honor of working with. Finally, he mentioned Oli Mármol, his last manager, in context about how much he has to offer to the Game.

Dominican managers in the MLB

Dominican coaches have played a prominent role in Major League Baseball, contributing their experience and leadership to various teams.

Felipe Alou: He was the first Dominican manager in Major League history. He managed the Montreal Expos from 1992 to 2001 and the San Francisco Giants from 2003 to 2006.

Luis Pujols: Served as bench coach of the Detroit Tigers in 2002, but he took over as manager when Phil Garner was fired just six Games into the season. Although he had only one season as a Major League manager, Pujols led the team to 55 wins and 100 losses (.355), finishing in fifth place in their division.

Tony Peña: He managed the Kansas City team in the Major Leagues from 2002 until 2005. During his tenure, the Royals made it to the postseason in 2003, and he earned praise for his work.

Manny Acta: He has experience managing the Washington Nationals (2007-2009) and Cleveland (2009-2012) and is known for his focus on developing young talent.

Luis Rojas: He was named interim manager of the New York Mets in 2020 and later confirmed as the starting manager for the 2020 season.

Oli Marmol is the current manager of the St Louis Cardinals. He assumed the position in 2022.