Albert Pujols vs Justin Upton: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Justin Upton played 2007–2022 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 Justin Upton (2007–2022) — 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; Justin Upton finished with 1,754 hits and 325 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 Justin Upton's 325.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Justin Upton's 1,754.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Justin Upton's 1,003.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Justin Upton's 15,786.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Justin Upton's 0.
Albert Pujols
Justin Upton
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Justin Upton. 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 | Justin Upton |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 1,845 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 6,721 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,914 | 1,058 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 1,754 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 350 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 703 | 325 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 1,003 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,373 | 785 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,404 | 1,971 |
| Stolen Bases | 117 | Leads: 151 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .261 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .342 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .544 | .469 |
| OPS | Leads: .918 | .812 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Justin Upton 58,591 to 15,786 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 929, across 23 seasons to 17. 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
Justin Upton — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Justin Upton owns stolen bases. 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 Justin Upton careers compare
Albert Pujols and Justin Upton were active at the same time between 2007 and 2022. Albert Pujols has the far longer record, 3,080 games against 1,845 across 23 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Justin Upton comes out ahead, it is in triples (38 to 16) and stolen bases (151 to 117). At the plate, Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373), and Justin Upton struck out more than walked (1,971 to 785). Justin Upton was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Albert Pujols's slugging percentage of .544 tops Justin Upton's .469.
Albert Pujols vs Justin Upton: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Justin Upton?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Justin Upton in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Justin Upton hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Justin Upton's 325.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Justin Upton's .812.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Justin Upton's .261.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Justin Upton's 1,754.