Albert Pujols chases 700 home runs as his career winds down

• He's now at 693 HR, and with 41 games — and one HR every 4.4 at-bats in the past two weeks — 700 is legitimately in play for the St. Louis Cardinals star.
• Wild stat: Pujols is slugging 1.300 in his past 10 games, the highest slugging percentage of any 10-game span in his career.

What he's saying: "I'm still going to retire, no matter [how many I hit]," Pujols told USA Today amid speculation that he might come back next season just to reach 700. "I don't get caught up in numbers."

• "If you were going to tell me 22 years ago that I would be this close, I would have told you that you're freakin' crazy. My career has been amazing."

Between the lines: Barry Bonds (762 HR), Hank Aaron (755) and Babe Ruth (714) are the only three to reach the milestone Pujols is chasing.

• Pujols has followed a similar blueprint as Aaron, as neither hit 50 in a season, but routinely put up solid numbers for two decades.
• Bonds and Ruth leaned on long, productive primes, both averaging over 40 bombs a year from age 25 to 39.

The big picture: A handful of active players are long shots to reach 700. Mike Trout (334), Bryce Harper (282), Juan Soto (121) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (98), to name a few. But there's a reason the club is so small.

• For 20+ years, just about everything has to break right. Just ask Ken Griffey Jr. (630), who looked like a lock until injuries derailed his career. Or Alex Rodriguez, who will forever be stuck at 696.

The bottom line: 700 home runs is hallowed ground, and Pujols is so close. Let's see if "The Machine" can go out with a bang.