Harmon Killebrew 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). Harmon Killebrew played 1954–1975 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
Harmon Killebrew (1954–1975) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harmon Killebrew finished with 2,086 hits and 573 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 Harmon Killebrew's 573.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Harmon Killebrew's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Harmon Killebrew's 1,584.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Harmon Killebrew's 48,240.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Harmon Killebrew's 0.
Harmon Killebrew
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harmon Killebrew 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 1950s and the 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harmon Killebrew | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,435 | Leads: 3,080 |
| At-Bats | 8,147 | Leads: 11,421 |
| Runs | 1,283 | Leads: 1,914 |
| Hits | 2,086 | Leads: 3,384 |
| Doubles | 290 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | Leads: 24 | 16 |
| Home Runs | 573 | Leads: 703 |
| RBI | 1,584 | Leads: 2,218 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,559 | 1,373 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,699 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | 19 | Leads: 117 |
| Batting Avg | .256 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .374 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .544 |
| OPS | .884 | Leads: .918 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols leads Harmon Killebrew 58,591 to 48,240 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 2,193, across 23 seasons to 22. 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).
Harmon Killebrew — 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 Harmon Killebrew owns 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 Harmon Killebrew and Albert Pujols careers compare
No season is shared: Harmon Killebrew played 1954–1975, Albert Pujols 2001–2022. With 2,435 games against 3,080 across 22 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Harmon Killebrew are triples (24 to 16), walks (1,559 to 1,373), and on-base percentage (.376 to .374). At the plate, Harmon Killebrew struck out more than walked (1,699 to 1,559), and Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). Home runs make up a larger share of Harmon Killebrew's hits: 573 of 2,086 for Harmon Killebrew, 703 of 3,384 for Albert Pujols.
Harmon Killebrew vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harmon Killebrew or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Harmon Killebrew in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harmon Killebrew or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Harmon Killebrew's 573.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Harmon Killebrew's .884.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Harmon Killebrew's .256.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Harmon Killebrew's 2,086.