Albert Pujols vs Babe Ruth: Career Stats Comparison
Babe Ruth has the better career line of the two, leading 9 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; Babe Ruth played 1914–1935 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 Babe Ruth (1914–1935) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1910s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Albert Pujols finished with 3,384 hits and 703 home runs; Babe Ruth finished with 2,873 hits and 714 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Babe Ruth, with 714 to Albert Pujols's 703.
- Who had the higher OPS? Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average? Babe Ruth, with .342 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Babe Ruth's 2,217.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Babe Ruth, with 111,979 career PIV to Albert Pujols's 58,591.
- Who won more championships? Babe Ruth, with 7 World Series titles to Albert Pujols's 2.
Albert Pujols
Babe Ruth
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Babe Ruth. 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 1910s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Albert Pujols | Babe Ruth |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 2,503 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 8,398 |
| Runs | 1,914 | Leads: 2,174 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 2,873 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 506 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 136 |
| Home Runs | 703 | Leads: 714 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 2,217 |
| Walks | 1,373 | Leads: 2,062 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,404 | 1,330 |
| Stolen Bases | 117 | Leads: 123 |
| Batting Avg | .296 | Leads: .342 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .474 |
| Slugging % | .544 | Leads: .690 |
| OPS | .918 | Leads: 1.164 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Babe Ruth outpaces Albert Pujols 111,979 to 58,591 — driven by per-season impact — 5,090 PIV per season to 2,547 — rather than by longevity, since Babe Ruth played 22 seasons to Albert Pujols'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
Babe Ruth — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Babe Ruth leads in home runs, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Albert Pujols owns hits and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Babe Ruth. PIV agrees: Babe Ruth 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 Babe Ruth careers compare
No season is shared: Babe Ruth played 1914–1935, Albert Pujols 2001–2022. With 3,080 games against 2,503 across 23 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373), while Babe Ruth walked more often than struck out (2,062 walks, 1,330 strikeouts). On the bases, Babe Ruth stole more often per game played (117 steals in 3,080 games for Albert Pujols, 123 in 2,503 for Babe Ruth). In on-base percentage, Babe Ruth holds the edge, .474 to .374. Babe Ruth owns the better peak by OPS: 1.114 OPS in 2008 for Albert Pujols against 1.382 OPS in 1920 for Babe Ruth.
Albert Pujols vs Babe Ruth: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Babe Ruth?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Babe Ruth leads Albert Pujols in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Babe Ruth hit more home runs?
- Babe Ruth, with 714 to Albert Pujols's 703.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Babe Ruth, with 1.164 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Babe Ruth, with .342 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Babe Ruth's 2,873.