Lou Gehrig vs Albert Pujols: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Lou Gehrig played 1923–1939 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
Lou Gehrig (1923–1939) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Lou Gehrig finished with 2,721 hits and 493 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? Albert Pujols, with 703 to Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS? Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average? Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Lou Gehrig's 1,995.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Lou Gehrig, with 81,072 career PIV to Albert Pujols's 58,591.
- Who won more championships? Lou Gehrig, with 8 World Series titles to Albert Pujols's 2.
Lou Gehrig
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Lou Gehrig 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 1920s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Lou Gehrig | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,164 | Leads: 3,080 |
| At-Bats | 8,001 | Leads: 11,421 |
| Runs | 1,888 | Leads: 1,914 |
| Hits | 2,721 | Leads: 3,384 |
| Doubles | 534 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | Leads: 163 | 16 |
| Home Runs | 493 | Leads: 703 |
| RBI | 1,995 | Leads: 2,218 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,508 | 1,373 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 790 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | 102 | Leads: 117 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .340 | .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .447 | .374 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .632 | .544 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.080 | .918 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Lou Gehrig outpaces Albert Pujols 81,072 to 58,591 — driven by per-season impact — 4,769 PIV per season to 2,547 — rather than by longevity, since Lou Gehrig played 17 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).
Lou Gehrig — top 3 seasons by OPS
Albert Pujols — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Lou Gehrig owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Albert Pujols. Note that PIV actually grades Lou Gehrig ahead, which means Albert Pujols's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Lou Gehrig and Albert Pujols careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Lou Gehrig's ended in 1939, and Albert Pujols debuted in 2001. With 2,164 games against 3,080 across 17 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Lou Gehrig walked more often than struck out (1,508 walks, 790 strikeouts), while Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). Lou Gehrig was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Lou Gehrig holds the edge, .447 to .374. Best seasons: 1927 for Lou Gehrig (1.240 OPS, 47 HR, 175 RBI, .373 avg) and 2008 for Albert Pujols (1.114 OPS, 37 HR, 116 RBI, .357 avg).
Lou Gehrig vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Lou Gehrig or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Lou Gehrig in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Lou Gehrig or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Lou Gehrig's 493.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Lou Gehrig, with 1.080 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Lou Gehrig, with .340 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Lou Gehrig's 2,721.