Paul Goldschmidt vs Albert Pujols: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Paul Goldschmidt has played 2011–present 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
Paul Goldschmidt (2011–present) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Paul Goldschmidt finished with 2,190 hits and 372 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 Paul Goldschmidt's 372.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Paul Goldschmidt's .882.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Paul Goldschmidt's .288.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Paul Goldschmidt's 2,190.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Paul Goldschmidt's 1,232.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Paul Goldschmidt's 35,401.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Paul Goldschmidt's 0.
Paul Goldschmidt
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Paul Goldschmidt and Albert Pujols. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Paul Goldschmidt | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,074 | Leads: 3,080 |
| At-Bats | 7,608 | Leads: 11,421 |
| Runs | 1,280 | Leads: 1,914 |
| Hits | 2,190 | Leads: 3,384 |
| Doubles | 477 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | Leads: 24 | 16 |
| Home Runs | 372 | Leads: 703 |
| RBI | 1,232 | Leads: 2,218 |
| Walks | 1,086 | Leads: 1,373 |
| Strikeouts | 1,979 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 174 | 117 |
| Batting Avg | .288 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .378 | .374 |
| Slugging % | .504 | Leads: .544 |
| OPS | .882 | Leads: .918 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Paul Goldschmidt 58,591 to 35,401 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,547 vs 2,360 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Paul Goldschmidt — 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 Paul Goldschmidt owns stolen bases and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Albert Pujols. PIV agrees: Albert Pujols grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Paul Goldschmidt vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Paul Goldschmidt or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Paul Goldschmidt in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Paul Goldschmidt or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Paul Goldschmidt's 372.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Paul Goldschmidt's .882.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Paul Goldschmidt's .288.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Paul Goldschmidt's 2,190.