Albert Pujols is very candid about potentially hitting 

From the start of the 2022 Major League Baseball season, it was clear that this would be the last year for the St. Albert Pujols' Louis Cardinals.

But as the legendary slugger nears 700 home runs in the final days of the season, some fans have begun to wonder

[{"selector":"#anim-6fddb73f-6093-492a-b585-16451f6de3aa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ce609c3f-96f0-4785-9377-3db0aab013fa","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.76922%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

if he would consider returning for another season to chase the elusive home run number. Although Pujols could finish the season just a few home runs short of becoming

[{"selector":"#anim-5aa008cf-1beb-41c3-885e-1527fb0c5410","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7200b8e0-de77-4c76-b2ba-59f457ebdc3e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(113.53846%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

only the fourth player ever to hit 700 career home runs, the St. Louis Cardinals said she still plans to retire after this season regardless of how many homes runs she hits.

[{"selector":"#anim-cf22e33b-9f38-46b9-b538-a79af9f7465c","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-51701883-a482-44b6-830d-38ec023bfdfb","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(111.99999%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

"I'm still going to retire, whether I end up at 693, 696, 700, whatever," Pujols told Today Sports. "I don't get carried away by the numbers.

[{"selector":"#anim-fc27e8b5-9768-461a-a6aa-1a03f763b223","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9b690beb-596d-4282-9886-1e10a60df99f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.76922%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

If you had told me 22 years ago that I would be this close, I would have told you you were crazy. My career has been amazing."

[{"selector":"#anim-6330fffe-7ea9-4fa6-bef6-512eee18ae56","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-16572bc4-3643-4da9-90ae-47a523c1da0b","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.76922%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

Reaching the total once seemed like a long shot as the slugger only had six home runs in the first half of the season, but Pujols currently has 692 career home runs

[{"selector":"#anim-076a7036-d540-4719-bd9d-611b11772ef3","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-97ced546-acc7-4124-b724-9248896e4421","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.76922%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

after hitting five in his last five games. With 43 games remaining in his career, it's certainly possible he'll reach the goal.

[{"selector":"#anim-81480786-f045-4439-86a6-7dcc6d1ede88","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-5a48648b-5ba4-4592-b13a-c14011a2d34d","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(114.46153%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]