Joe Posnanski does not like Albert Pujols’s swing:

However, when it came to Pujols swing, Francona was not nearly as pointed. He did do a little breakdown — and did talk about how his hands were dead as they came through the zone during one at-bat — but he generally was saying that Pujols swing looked pretty good, and he was really close, and he it was only a matter of time. And Francona knows a billion times more about this than I do, so I am sheepish in what I’m about to say.

But I’ll say it anyway. I think he’s completely wrong. Pujols swing looks nothing like it did. The wide stance has narrowed significantly. His legs used to be tree trunks; a hurricane could not move this guy. Not anymore. He looks wobbly at the plate. His swing used to be the most balanced thing of beauty imaginable — everything stayed perfectly still as the bat would rush through the zone with fury — now he’s lunging at the ball, stepping at the ball, his head seems to be moving all over the place.

I don’t have the technological understanding of hitting to explain the differences, but even someone like me can see, in caveman talk, “That swing different from that swing.”

My guess is the explanation is physical. Albert is hurt, but either not letting on that he’s hurt, or trying to play through the injury. Over the years, the injury explanation seems to be the one that wins out. You see someone struggle, their swings or pitching motions are analyzed, then you find out they were trying to play through pain. It seems to me the most likely explanation for what is going on.