NEED TO KNOWAlbert Pujols reflects on the emotional impact of teammate Darryl Kile's death during their time with the St. Louis Cardinals

Pujols credits Kile as a mentor who shaped his career and inspired his involvement in health awareness programs

Pujols is now the national ambassador for Merck's Playing with Heart program to educate fans about high cholesterol risks

Albert Pujols was in his second season with the St. Louis Cardinals when he learned that his teammate and mentor, Darryl Kile, had died.

On June 22, 2002, hours before they were supposed to face off against the Chicago Cubs, Kile died of a heart attack at the age of 33. The unexpected loss shook the team and the baseball community. However, the team did everything they could to honor his memory. Later that season, after they won the NL Central Division title, Pujols carried Kile's number 57 jersey on the field in memory of the late pitcher.

Now, decades later, Pujols reflects on the "emotional" moment.

"Emotional to let his family know that he's gone, but he is with us in spirit, and it was really tough. It even gives me a tear to even think about it, and that happened 24 years ago," Pujols, 46, tells PEOPLE. "I wish I had played with him longer, but that wasn't the case. God had another plan, and it was tough. It was a tough one to swallow, but at the end of the day, because of that, 24 years later, we're talking about this problem that can affect our lives."

Pujols says Kile took him under his wing when he joined the team in 2001, noting that the pitcher was "somebody in my life that made a huge impact."

"We lost him at a young age. DK was a great human being, not just for me. Every teammate that we had, he made a huge impact," he shares. "For me, it was just really short. I wish he was still here with us, but I think he left his mark in baseball. A veteran guy, he took me under his wing and taught me the right way."

Looking back on that day, Pujols said the team was already at Wrigley Field for pregame warmups when they were told that Kile had been found dead in his hotel room. Kile's death was ruled to be from natural causes after it was discovered that he had an enlarged heart and had 90% blockage in two of his coronary arteries.

"I was at the stadium, and we found out about it. I was devastated because it was somebody that I honor, I respect him, and it was tough on his family as well," Pujols shares. "I know that he left a really huge mark, not just on myself, but so many other baseball players."

Fast forward 24 years and Pujols was recently named the national ambassador for Merck's new program Playing with Heart. Merck is partnering with the Yankees, Red Sox, Phillies, Braves, Astros, Cardinals, Giants, Padres and Angels to help educate fans about high bad cholesterol (LDL) and how it may increase the risk of heart attack or stroke.

One of the reasons the two-time World Series champion said yes to the partnership is because of Kile, he tells PEOPLE.

"When I got approached about this program, I said yes because I think I owe it to him and also to make sure that people know about the program," he shares. "As an athlete, sometimes we forget that it doesn't matter what kind of shape you are. If you don't check yourself and make sure that your cholesterol is low and not too high, it can cause you a problem in the future."

According to Pujols, Kile left a legacy as "a great leader" and a "great human being."

"As a player, we all have a responsibility. We got our family and our community, and DK did all those great things and he did an excellent job. That's how I want people to remember him. Not just this great pitcher who was on the mound with a big curveball," he says. "At that time, he had one of the best curveballs in the league, but I think the person that he was and the amazing heart that he was just unbelievable, and he was a great example for me, for myself."

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Pujols recalls a meaningful moment he shared with Kile while they were in Houston, when the pitcher turned to him and said, "You know why I'm taking the time to really teach you about the game is because I know you're gonna do it for somebody else in the future."

That advice, Pujols says, "stuck with me in my life and my career."

"From there on, I felt that it was more than just representing the Cardinals, the Dodgers, the Angels, it's about helping others in the community, your teammates and whoever needs help. I learned all those things and give a lot of credit to those guys along the way," Pujols shares. "We don't have to do it, but I think because I feel that it's part of the responsibility, we have to. For me, it was part of growing up in the game, along with being a great baseball player, that really shaped me to become the man that I am today."