Brian McCann vs Albert Pujols: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Brian McCann played 2005–2019 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
Brian McCann (2005–2019) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Brian McCann finished with 1,590 hits and 282 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 Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Brian McCann's 1,590.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Brian McCann's 1,018.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Brian McCann's 9,133.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Brian McCann's 1.
Brian McCann
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Brian McCann 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 | Brian McCann | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,755 | Leads: 3,080 |
| At-Bats | 6,067 | Leads: 11,421 |
| Runs | 742 | Leads: 1,914 |
| Hits | 1,590 | Leads: 3,384 |
| Doubles | 294 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | 5 | Leads: 16 |
| Home Runs | 282 | Leads: 703 |
| RBI | 1,018 | Leads: 2,218 |
| Walks | 640 | Leads: 1,373 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,054 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | 25 | Leads: 117 |
| Batting Avg | .262 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | .337 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | .452 | Leads: .544 |
| OPS | .789 | Leads: .918 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Brian McCann 58,591 to 9,133 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 609, across 23 seasons to 15. 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).
Brian McCann — 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 Brian McCann 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 Brian McCann and Albert Pujols careers compare
From 2005 through 2019, Brian McCann and Albert Pujols were in the majors together. The table compares 1,755 games of Brian McCann with 3,080 of Albert Pujols across 15 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Albert Pujols leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Brian McCann struck out more than walked (1,054 to 640), and Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). Albert Pujols was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. On the peak-season lists, Brian McCann's best year is 2006 at .961 OPS and Albert Pujols's is 2008 at 1.114 OPS; Albert Pujols has the stronger single season.
Brian McCann vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Brian McCann or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Brian McCann in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Brian McCann or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Brian McCann's 282.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Brian McCann's .789.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Brian McCann's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Brian McCann's 1,590.