Ryan Howard vs Albert Pujols: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Ryan Howard played 2004–2016 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
Ryan Howard (2004–2016) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Ryan Howard finished with 1,475 hits and 382 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 Ryan Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Ryan Howard's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Ryan Howard's 1,194.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Ryan Howard's 19,167.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Ryan Howard's 1.
Ryan Howard
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Ryan Howard 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Ryan Howard | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,572 | Leads: 3,080 |
| At-Bats | 5,707 | Leads: 11,421 |
| Runs | 848 | Leads: 1,914 |
| Hits | 1,475 | Leads: 3,384 |
| Doubles | 277 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | Leads: 21 | 16 |
| Home Runs | 382 | Leads: 703 |
| RBI | 1,194 | Leads: 2,218 |
| Walks | 709 | Leads: 1,373 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,843 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | 12 | Leads: 117 |
| Batting Avg | .258 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | .343 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | .515 | Leads: .544 |
| OPS | .859 | Leads: .918 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Ryan Howard 58,591 to 19,167 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 1,474, across 23 seasons to 13. 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).
Ryan Howard — 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 Ryan Howard owns no headline categories. 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 Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols careers compare
From 2004 through 2016, Ryan Howard and Albert Pujols were in the majors together. Albert Pujols has the far longer record, 3,080 games against 1,572 across 13 and 23 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Ryan Howard comes out ahead, it is in triples (21 to 16). Ryan Howard struck out more than walked (1,843 to 709); Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). Albert Pujols was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Albert Pujols's slugging percentage of .544 tops Ryan Howard's .515.
Ryan Howard vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Ryan Howard or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Ryan Howard in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Ryan Howard or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Ryan Howard's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Ryan Howard's .859.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Ryan Howard's .258.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Ryan Howard's 1,475.