Angels count on home runs and RBIs from Albert Pujols, even as his batting average falls

Albert Pujols is batting .247. That is a season high.

The Angels have long since made their peace with the Pujols of Anaheim not being the Pujols of St. Louis, the three-time National League most valuable player and most feared hitter in the game. They are gratified that his power remains, and with it they believe his productivity does too.

Pujols is on pace to hit 29 home runs and drive in 103 runs this year. If he plays out the season at that pace, he would average 32 homers and 102 RBI in each of his four full seasons with the Angels. (He sat out the last two months of the 2013 season because of an injury.)

However, he is hitting ground balls at the highest rate of his career, and opposing defenses are shifting against him at the highest rate of his career. That combination — and Pujols’ lack of speed — means more of his ground balls are turning into outs. And sometimes two outs; Pujols ranks second in the major leagues in grounding into double plays.

“There’s no doubt shifting has become more prevalent. I think Albert is as highly shifted [against] as any right-handed hitter in the game,” Angels Manager Mike Scioscia said.

“He’s obviously hit some ground balls into shifts. I do think it’s affected some of his batting average. Albert’s real importance to us is going to be his production numbers. I think right now you can see that he is driving in runs.”

Pujols is batting .423 over a six-game hitting streak, a season high. He has driven in 50 runs, second to Mike Trout on the team and among the top 20 in the American League. He has the most at-bats of any Angels player with runners in scoring position, although his .268 average in that situation ranks fifth among the six Angels with at least 50 at-bats.

He has been the designated hitter for 10 consecutive games, as the Angels focus on keeping his bat in the lineup.

“He’s doing what we need him to do, and hopefully that will pick up,” Scioscia said. “He’s definitely starting to swing the bat better and feels more confident. We’ll see how the second half goes.”

Scioscia said he was not alarmed by the rise in the number of ground balls Pujols is hitting, even over the course of half a season.

“I think it’s a small sample, to be honest with you,” Scioscia said. “Over the course of a year, it could become a timing issue. It could become a matchup issue. I know it’s half a season, but I don’t think it’s excessive to the point where you say, ‘Oh my gosh, this guy needs to redefine himself.’

“Sometimes hitters aren’t squaring balls up as consistently as they can. I think there are other markers to look at, such as exit velocity, that reflect on your bat speed. All those markers are good. He’s not chasing numbers. He’s trying to help us win every at-bat and let the numbers fall where they will.”

Pujols is 36. He might not bat .300 any longer, but what should his batting average look like?

“Last year, he hit 40 home runs,” Scioscia said. “He’s going to do what he’s going to do. There’s no need for him to morph his game or change his game. I think he makes adjustments as well as any player that’s ever put on a uniform. He understands what pitchers are doing. He understands what he wants to do. He’s tremendous at making adjustments.

“Whatever hitter he is going to be at this stage of his career, so be it. He is still extremely productive. He gets Mike [Trout] pitches to hit, just hitting behind him. He is still a force in the middle of our lineup.”

bill.shaikin@latimes.com

Twitter: @BillShaikin