Albert Pujols vs Alex Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols 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). Albert Pujols played 2001–2022 as a hitter; Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016 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
Albert Pujols (2001–2022) and Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Albert Pujols finished with 3,384 hits and 703 home runs; Alex Rodriguez finished with 3,115 hits and 696 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 Alex Rodriguez's 696.
- Who had the higher OPS? Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Alex Rodriguez's 3,115.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Alex Rodriguez's 2,086.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Alex Rodriguez's 54,389.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Alex Rodriguez's 1.
Albert Pujols
Alex Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez. 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 2000s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Albert Pujols | Alex Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 2,784 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 10,566 |
| Runs | 1,914 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 3,115 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 548 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 31 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 703 | 696 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 2,086 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,373 | 1,338 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,404 | 2,287 |
| Stolen Bases | 117 | Leads: 329 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .295 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .544 | Leads: .550 |
| OPS | .918 | Leads: .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols edges Alex Rodriguez 58,591 to 54,389 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 2,472, 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).
Albert Pujols — top 3 seasons by OPS
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average, while Alex Rodriguez owns runs, stolen bases, and 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 Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez careers compare
The careers of Albert Pujols (2001–2022) and Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) overlapped from 2001 to 2016, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 3,080 games for Albert Pujols and 2,784 for Alex Rodriguez across 23 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373); Alex Rodriguez struck out more than walked (2,287 to 1,338). Alex Rodriguez was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Alex Rodriguez's slugging percentage of .550 tops Albert Pujols's .544.
Albert Pujols vs Alex Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Alex Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Alex Rodriguez in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Alex Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Alex Rodriguez's 696.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Alex Rodriguez's 3,115.