Albert Pujols vs Ichiro Suzuki: 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; Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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 Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Albert Pujols finished with 3,384 hits and 703 home runs; Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 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 Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Ichiro Suzuki's 3,089.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Ichiro Suzuki's 780.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Ichiro Suzuki's 0.
Albert Pujols
Ichiro Suzuki
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Ichiro Suzuki. 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 | Albert Pujols | Ichiro Suzuki |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 2,653 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 9,934 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,914 | 1,420 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 3,089 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 362 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 703 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 780 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,373 | 647 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,404 | 1,080 |
| Stolen Bases | 117 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | .296 | Leads: .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .544 | .402 |
| OPS | Leads: .918 | .757 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 58,591 to 6,671 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 334, across 23 seasons to 20. 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
Ichiro Suzuki — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ichiro Suzuki 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 Ichiro Suzuki careers compare
From 2001 through 2019, Albert Pujols and Ichiro Suzuki were in the majors together. With 3,080 games against 2,653 across 23 and 20 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Ichiro Suzuki are triples (96 to 16), stolen bases (509 to 117), and batting average (.311 to .296). At the plate, Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373), and Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647). Home runs make up a larger share of Albert Pujols's hits: 703 of 3,384 for Albert Pujols, 117 of 3,089 for Ichiro Suzuki. Ichiro Suzuki was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Albert Pujols vs Ichiro Suzuki: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Ichiro Suzuki?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Ichiro Suzuki in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Ichiro Suzuki hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Ichiro Suzuki's 3,089.