Albert Pujols vs Carlos Santana: 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). Albert Pujols played 2001–2022 as a hitter; Carlos Santana has played 2010–present 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 Carlos Santana (2010–present) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Albert Pujols finished with 3,384 hits and 703 home runs; Carlos Santana has 1,882 hits and 335 home runs through October 6, 2026. 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 Carlos Santana's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Carlos Santana's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Carlos Santana's .240.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Carlos Santana's 1,882.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Carlos Santana's 1,136.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Carlos Santana's 15,027.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Carlos Santana's 0.
Albert Pujols
Carlos Santana
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Carlos Santana. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Carlos Santana is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Albert Pujols | Carlos Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 2,212 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 7,839 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,914 | 1,108 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 1,882 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 405 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 17 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 703 | 335 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 1,136 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,373 | 1,332 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,404 | 1,548 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 117 | 65 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .240 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .544 | .424 |
| OPS | Leads: .918 | .775 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Carlos Santana 58,591 to 15,027 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 791, across 23 seasons to 19. 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
Carlos Santana — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Carlos Santana 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 Albert Pujols and Carlos Santana careers compare
From 2010 through 2022, Albert Pujols and Carlos Santana were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 3,080 games for Albert Pujols and 2,212 for Carlos Santana across 23 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Carlos Santana comes out ahead, it is in triples (17 to 16). At the plate, Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373), and Carlos Santana struck out more than walked (1,548 to 1,332). On the bases, Albert Pujols stole more often per game played (117 steals in 3,080 games for Albert Pujols, 65 in 2,212 for Carlos Santana). Carlos Santana's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Albert Pujols vs Carlos Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Carlos Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Carlos Santana in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Carlos Santana hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Carlos Santana's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Carlos Santana's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Carlos Santana's .240.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Carlos Santana's 1,882.