Albert Pujols spent ten seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, which is a longer run than most of the players fans think of as Angels lifers. It gets overlooked because the first eleven years in St. Louis were historic, but the Anaheim decade is where he crossed 600 home runs, passed 2,000 RBIs and reached 3,000 hits. If you are shopping for an Albert Pujols jersey, the #5 in halo red is a genuinely underrated piece of collecting — and it is the only jersey that covers those milestones.
This guide covers what the Angels years actually produced, how the four main #5 colorways differ, and how to size the youth, women's and men's cuts that these jerseys come in.
Pujols in Anaheim: What the Angels Years Actually Were
He signed in December 2011 on a ten-year deal and played the whole thing out through 2021. The counting stats from that stretch are the ones that put him in the top ten all time in several categories: his 600th home run came as an Angel in June 2017, a grand slam, making him the first player ever to reach 600 with a bases-loaded swing. His 3,000th hit came in May 2018, also in an Angels uniform.
The other thing the Anaheim years gave baseball was the middle of that lineup. For several seasons Pujols hit alongside the best player of his generation, and that pairing is the main reason collectors go after the red #5 — it belongs to a specific Angels team people remember watching. Our Mike Trout Angels jersey guide covers the other half of that lineup, and the two use the same templates, so anything you learn about fit transfers between them.
The #5 Angels Jerseys, Color by Color
Anaheim keeps a tight, consistent uniform identity, which makes this an easy set to choose from. There is no City Connect confusion to work through — just four clear looks:
- Red — the signature. Halo red is the color the franchise is built on and the most recognizable Pujols Angels jersey. If you buy one, buy this one.
- White — the home look, with red trim and the winged halo detail. The most versatile of the four and the easiest to wear outside a ballpark.
- Grey — the road jersey. Understated, and the pick for fans who want the era without the color volume.
- Red alternate — the same palette in a slightly different construction, cut for a closer fit through the body.
- Pink splash fashion — the outlier, a women's fashion cut rather than an on-field replica. Worth knowing about if you want something that reads less like game gear.
Angels Red or Cardinals Red?
This is the real decision with Pujols, and it is not the same question as picking a color. St. Louis and Anaheim both wear red, but they represent two entirely different careers. The Cardinals years are the peak: three MVP awards, two World Series titles, the best decade any right-handed hitter has had since the 1960s. The Angels years are the accumulation: the milestone home runs, the 3,000th hit, the long climb up the all-time leaderboards.
The practical tiebreaker is what you want the jersey to be about. A Cardinals #5 is a statement about how good he was. An Angels #5 is a statement about how long he lasted, and it is the rarer sight in the stands. Collectors who already own a Cardinals piece tend to add the Angels red second, precisely because everyone has the first one.
If the St. Louis side is pulling harder, the era around him there is worth reading on: our Yadier Molina Cardinals jersey guide covers his longtime teammate and the same championship teams, and our Ozzie Smith Cardinals jersey guide goes back to the franchise's earlier run of great infielders.
Sizing: Youth, Women's and Men's Cuts
These Angels jerseys turn up in three different cuts, and the differences are bigger than the size labels suggest. Read the cut before you read the letter.
- Men's replica — straight body, standard sleeve length. True to size over a t-shirt; size up one if you plan to layer over a hoodie for a cool April night game.
- Women's cut — tapered through the waist with a shorter body and narrower shoulders. If you want a looser drape, take the next size up or buy the men's cut instead.
- Youth — sized to age ranges rather than chest measurements, and slim through the shoulders. Buying one size up is almost always right; the sleeves will still sit correctly.
- Care: cold water, inside out, gentle cycle, hang dry. Red is the fabric most likely to bleed on a first wash, so wash it on its own the first two or three times.
Styling Halo Red
Halo red is a true red rather than a maroon or a scarlet, which makes it easier to wear than it sounds. The reliable formula is a plain white or black tee underneath, dark denim or black jeans, and white sneakers. Skip a red cap on top of the red jersey — a navy or white cap breaks it up and looks intentional rather than accidental.
The white and grey jerseys handle differently. Both work over a black tee, and both look better with a lighter bottom than the red does. Grey in particular pairs well with olive or stone, which is a combination most team gear cannot pull off.
For night games in Anaheim, layer the jersey open over a hoodie rather than under a jacket. It sounds obvious, but the point of wearing a #5 is that people can read it.
Where to Start
Start with the red #5. It is the color the franchise is known for, the decade the milestones happened in, and the version fans recognize immediately. Take the white if you want something you will wear more often than just on game days, and the grey if you prefer your team gear quiet. Browse the full Los Angeles Angels jerseys collection to see the cuts and colorways side by side, and check the youth and women's options if the jersey is a gift rather than a keeper.
