Hank Greenberg vs Albert Pujols: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947 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 Greenberg (1930–1947) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — they broke in during the 1930s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Greenberg finished with 1,628 hits and 331 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 Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Hank Greenberg's 1,276.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Hank Greenberg's 43,523.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Hank Greenberg
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Greenberg 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 1930s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Greenberg | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,394 | Leads: 3,080 |
| At-Bats | 5,193 | Leads: 11,421 |
| Runs | 1,051 | Leads: 1,914 |
| Hits | 1,628 | Leads: 3,384 |
| Doubles | 379 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | Leads: 71 | 16 |
| Home Runs | 331 | Leads: 703 |
| RBI | 1,276 | Leads: 2,218 |
| Walks | 852 | Leads: 1,373 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 844 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | 58 | Leads: 117 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .313 | .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .412 | .374 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .605 | .544 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.017 | .918 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Hank Greenberg 58,591 to 43,523 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Albert Pujols played 23 seasons to Hank Greenberg's 13, while Hank Greenberg carries the higher per-season figure (3,348 to 2,547). 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 Greenberg — 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 Hank Greenberg owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. 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
How the Hank Greenberg and Albert Pujols careers compare
No season is shared: Hank Greenberg played 1930–1947, Albert Pujols 2001–2022. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Hank Greenberg appeared in 1,394 games to Albert Pujols's 3,080. At the plate, Hank Greenberg walked more often than struck out (852 walks, 844 strikeouts), while Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). On the bases, Hank Greenberg stole more often per game played (58 steals in 1,394 games for Hank Greenberg, 117 in 3,080 for Albert Pujols). Hank Greenberg's slugging percentage of .605 tops Albert Pujols's .544.
Hank Greenberg vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Greenberg or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Hank Greenberg in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Greenberg or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Hank Greenberg's 331.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Greenberg, with 1.017 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Greenberg, with .313 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Hank Greenberg's 1,628.