Eddie Mathews 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). Eddie Mathews played 1952–1968 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
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Eddie Mathews finished with 2,315 hits and 512 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 Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Eddie Mathews's 1,453.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Eddie Mathews's 45,555.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Eddie Mathews
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Eddie Mathews 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 | Eddie Mathews | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,391 | Leads: 3,080 |
| At-Bats | 8,537 | Leads: 11,421 |
| Runs | 1,509 | Leads: 1,914 |
| Hits | 2,315 | Leads: 3,384 |
| Doubles | 354 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | Leads: 72 | 16 |
| Home Runs | 512 | Leads: 703 |
| RBI | 1,453 | Leads: 2,218 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,444 | 1,373 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,487 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | 68 | Leads: 117 |
| Batting Avg | .271 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .376 | .374 |
| Slugging % | .509 | Leads: .544 |
| OPS | .885 | Leads: .918 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols leads Eddie Mathews 58,591 to 45,555 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 2,531, across 23 seasons to 18. 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).
Eddie Mathews — 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 Eddie Mathews 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 Eddie Mathews and Albert Pujols careers compare
Eddie Mathews (1952–1968) was finished before Albert Pujols (2001–2022) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,391 games against 3,080 across 18 and 23 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Eddie Mathews's edges on the table are triples (72 to 16), walks (1,444 to 1,373), and on-base percentage (.376 to .374). At the plate, Eddie Mathews struck out more than walked (1,487 to 1,444), and Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). On the bases, Albert Pujols stole more often per game played (68 steals in 2,391 games for Eddie Mathews, 117 in 3,080 for Albert Pujols). Albert Pujols's slugging percentage of .544 tops Eddie Mathews's .509.
Eddie Mathews vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Eddie Mathews or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Eddie Mathews in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Eddie Mathews or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Eddie Mathews's 512.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Eddie Mathews's .885.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Eddie Mathews's .271.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Eddie Mathews's 2,315.