Bryce Harper vs Albert Pujols: Career Stats Comparison

Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Bryce Harper has played 2012–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

Bryce Harper (2012–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. Bryce Harper has 1,956 hits and 392 home runs through October 12, 2026; 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 Bryce Harper's 392.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Bryce Harper's .902.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Bryce Harper's .279.
  • Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Bryce Harper's 1,956.
  • Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Bryce Harper's 1,138.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Bryce Harper's 34,405.
  • Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Bryce Harper's 0.
Leads Albert Pujols 11 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Albert Pujols +24,186
Read the verdict ↓

Bryce Harper

Hitter · 2012–present
Games
1,947
Hits
1,956
Home Runs
392
RBI
1,138
Avg
.279
OPS
.902
View Bryce Harper's full profile →

Albert Pujols

Hitter · 2001–2022
Games
3,080
Hits
3,384
Home Runs
703
RBI
2,218
Avg
.296
OPS
.918
View Albert Pujols's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bryce Harper 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 2010s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Bryce Harper is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.

Bryce Harper vs Albert Pujols: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Bryce Harper Albert Pujols
Games 1,947 Leads: 3,080
At-Bats 7,012 Leads: 11,421
Runs 1,247 Leads: 1,914
Hits 1,956 Leads: 3,384
Doubles 433 Leads: 686
Triples Leads: 27 16
Home Runs 392 Leads: 703
RBI 1,138 Leads: 2,218
Walks 1,212 Leads: 1,373
Strikeouts not scored 1,802 1,404
Stolen Bases Leads: 159 117
Batting Avg .279 Leads: .296
On-Base % Leads: .386 .374
Slugging % .516 Leads: .544
OPS .902 Leads: .918

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Bryce Harper 58,591 to 34,405 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 2,458, across 23 seasons to 14. 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.

Bryce Harper
34,405
Career PIV · 2,458 per season (14 seasons)
Albert Pujols
58,591
Career PIV · 2,547 per season (23 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Bryce Harper — top 3 seasons by OPS

20151.109 OPS42 HR, 99 RBI, .330 avg
20211.044 OPS35 HR, 84 RBI, .309 avg
20171.008 OPS29 HR, 87 RBI, .319 avg

Albert Pujols — top 3 seasons by OPS

20081.114 OPS37 HR, 116 RBI, .357 avg
20031.106 OPS43 HR, 124 RBI, .359 avg
20061.102 OPS49 HR, 137 RBI, .331 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bryce Harper 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

How the Bryce Harper and Albert Pujols careers compare

The careers of Bryce Harper (2012–present) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) overlapped from 2012 to 2022, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Albert Pujols has the far longer record, 3,080 games against 1,947 across 14 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Bryce Harper comes out ahead, it is in triples (27 to 16), stolen bases (159 to 117), and on-base percentage (.386 to .374). Bryce Harper struck out more than walked (1,802 to 1,212); Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). Because Bryce Harper is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.

Bryce Harper vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Bryce Harper or Albert Pujols?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Bryce Harper in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Bryce Harper or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
Albert Pujols, with 703 to Bryce Harper's 392.
Who had the higher OPS?
Albert Pujols, with .918 to Bryce Harper's .902.
Who had the higher batting average?
Albert Pujols, with .296 to Bryce Harper's .279.
Who had more hits?
Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Bryce Harper's 1,956.

See These Players in Another Era