Albert Pujols vs Ivan Rodriguez: 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). Albert Pujols played 2001–2022 as a hitter; Ivan Rodriguez played 1991–2011 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 Ivan Rodriguez (1991–2011) — 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; Ivan Rodriguez finished with 2,844 hits and 311 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 Ivan Rodriguez's 311.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Ivan Rodriguez's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .296.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Ivan Rodriguez's 2,844.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Ivan Rodriguez's 1,332.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Ivan Rodriguez's 10,232.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Ivan Rodriguez's 1.
Albert Pujols
Ivan Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Ivan 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 | Ivan Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 2,543 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 9,592 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,914 | 1,354 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 2,844 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 572 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 51 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 703 | 311 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 1,332 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,373 | 513 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,404 | 1,474 |
| Stolen Bases | 117 | Leads: 127 |
| Batting Avg | .296 | Leads: .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .334 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .544 | .464 |
| OPS | Leads: .918 | .798 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Ivan Rodriguez 58,591 to 10,232 — driven by per-season impact — 2,547 PIV per season to 445 — rather than by longevity, since Albert Pujols played 23 seasons to Ivan Rodriguez's 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).
Albert Pujols — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ivan Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ivan Rodriguez owns stolen bases and 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 Albert Pujols and Ivan Rodriguez careers compare
From 2001 through 2011, Albert Pujols and Ivan Rodriguez were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 3,080 games for Albert Pujols and 2,543 for Ivan Rodriguez across 23 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Ivan Rodriguez are triples (51 to 16), stolen bases (127 to 117), and batting average (.296 to .296). At the plate, Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373), and Ivan Rodriguez struck out more than walked (1,474 to 513). Home runs make up a larger share of Albert Pujols's hits: 703 of 3,384 for Albert Pujols, 311 of 2,844 for Ivan Rodriguez.
Albert Pujols vs Ivan Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Ivan Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Ivan Rodriguez in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Ivan Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Ivan Rodriguez's 311.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Ivan Rodriguez's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Ivan Rodriguez's 2,844.