Willie Mays vs Albert Pujols: Career Stats Comparison
Willie Mays has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Willie Mays played 1951–1973 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
Willie Mays (1951–1973) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Willie Mays finished with 3,293 hits and 660 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 Willie Mays's 660.
- Who had the higher OPS? Willie Mays, with .940 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average? Willie Mays, with .301 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Willie Mays's 3,293.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Willie Mays's 1,909.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Willie Mays, with 74,062 career PIV to Albert Pujols's 58,591.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Willie Mays's 1.
Willie Mays
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Willie Mays 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 | Willie Mays | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 3,005 | Leads: 3,080 |
| At-Bats | 10,924 | Leads: 11,421 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,068 | 1,914 |
| Hits | 3,293 | Leads: 3,384 |
| Doubles | 525 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | Leads: 141 | 16 |
| Home Runs | 660 | Leads: 703 |
| RBI | 1,909 | Leads: 2,218 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,468 | 1,373 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,526 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 339 | 117 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .384 | .374 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .557 | .544 |
| OPS | Leads: .940 | .918 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Willie Mays leads Albert Pujols 74,062 to 58,591 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,086 PIV per season to 2,547, across 24 seasons to 23. 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).
Willie Mays — top 3 seasons by OPS
Albert Pujols — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Willie Mays leads in runs, stolen bases, batting average, and OBP, while Albert Pujols owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Willie Mays. PIV agrees: Willie Mays grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Willie Mays and Albert Pujols careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Willie Mays's ended in 1973, and Albert Pujols debuted in 2001. The two careers are close in length, 3,005 games for Willie Mays and 3,080 for Albert Pujols across 24 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Willie Mays struck out more than walked (1,526 to 1,468), and Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). Willie Mays was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In on-base percentage, Willie Mays holds the edge, .384 to .374.
Willie Mays vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Willie Mays or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Willie Mays leads Albert Pujols in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Willie Mays or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Willie Mays's 660.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Willie Mays, with .940 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Willie Mays, with .301 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Willie Mays's 3,293.