Buster Posey 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). Buster Posey played 2009–2021 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
Buster Posey (2009–2021) and Albert Pujols (2001–2022) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Buster Posey finished with 1,500 hits and 158 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 Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average? Buster Posey, with .302 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Buster Posey's 1,500.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Buster Posey's 729.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Buster Posey's 15,615.
- Who won more championships? Buster Posey, with 3 World Series titles to Albert Pujols's 2.
Buster Posey
Albert Pujols
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Buster Posey 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 | Buster Posey | Albert Pujols |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,371 | Leads: 3,080 |
| At-Bats | 4,970 | Leads: 11,421 |
| Runs | 663 | Leads: 1,914 |
| Hits | 1,500 | Leads: 3,384 |
| Doubles | 293 | Leads: 686 |
| Triples | 9 | Leads: 16 |
| Home Runs | 158 | Leads: 703 |
| RBI | 729 | Leads: 2,218 |
| Walks | 540 | Leads: 1,373 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 721 | 1,404 |
| Stolen Bases | 23 | Leads: 117 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .302 | .296 |
| On-Base % | .372 | Leads: .374 |
| Slugging % | .460 | Leads: .544 |
| OPS | .831 | Leads: .918 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Buster Posey 58,591 to 15,615 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 1,301, across 23 seasons to 12. 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).
Buster Posey — 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 Buster Posey owns batting average. 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 Buster Posey and Albert Pujols careers compare
Buster Posey and Albert Pujols were active at the same time between 2009 and 2021. The table compares 1,371 games of Buster Posey with 3,080 of Albert Pujols across 12 and 23 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Buster Posey's edges on the table are batting average (.302 to .296). Buster Posey struck out more than walked (721 to 540); Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373). Home runs make up a larger share of Albert Pujols's hits: 158 of 1,500 for Buster Posey, 703 of 3,384 for Albert Pujols.
Buster Posey vs Albert Pujols: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Buster Posey or Albert Pujols?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Buster Posey in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Buster Posey or Albert Pujols hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Buster Posey's 158.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Buster Posey's .831.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Buster Posey, with .302 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Buster Posey's 1,500.