Hank Aaron vs Albert Pujols: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Albert Pujols played 2001–2022 as a hitter.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Albert Pujols finished with 3,384 hits and 703 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Albert Pujols's 703.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Albert Pujols's 3,384.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Albert Pujols's 2,218.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Albert Pujols's 58,591.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Hank Aaron's 1.
Hank Aaron
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 14 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other one is a counting total on which fewer is not an achievement, so no one is awarded it. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted, and the 1950s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 3,080 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 11,421 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,914 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 3,384 |
| Doubles | 624 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 16 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 703 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 2,218 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 1,373 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 117 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .296 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .544 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .918 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Albert Pujols 78,640 to 58,591 — driven by per-season impact — 3,419 PIV per season to 2,547 — rather than by longevity, since Hank Aaron played 23 seasons to Albert Pujols's 23. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
PIV is computed through the 2025 season. The career totals on this page include 2026 to date, so PIV does not yet reflect the 2026 season.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Albert Pujols — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Albert Pujols owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Albert Pujols careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Hank Aaron's ended in 1976, and Albert Pujols debuted in 2001. The two careers are close in length, 3,298 games for Hank Aaron and 3,080 for Albert Pujols across 23 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Albert Pujols's edges on the table are doubles (686 to 624) and on-base percentage (.374 to .374). Plate discipline differs: Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), but Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). Hank Aaron was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Hank Aaron vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Albert Pujols in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Albert Pujols's 703.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Albert Pujols's 3,384.