Albert Pujols vs Jim Thome: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Albert Pujols played 2001–2022 as a hitter; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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 Jim Thome (1991–2012) — 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; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 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 Jim Thome's 612.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Thome, with .956 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Jim Thome's 2,328.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Jim Thome's 1,699.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Jim Thome's 51,664.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Jim Thome's 0.
Albert Pujols
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Jim Thome. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Albert Pujols | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 2,543 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 8,422 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,914 | 1,583 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 2,328 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 451 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 26 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 703 | 612 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 1,699 |
| Walks | 1,373 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts | 1,404 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 117 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .276 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | .544 | Leads: .554 |
| OPS | .918 | Leads: .956 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols leads Jim Thome 58,591 to 51,664 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,547 vs 2,067 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
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
Jim Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jim Thome owns OBP and OPS. 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
Albert Pujols vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Jim Thome in 9 of 14 categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Jim Thome's 612.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Thome, with .956 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Jim Thome's 2,328.