Albert Pujols vs Joey Votto: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Albert Pujols played 2001–2022 as a hitter; Joey Votto played 2007–2023 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 Joey Votto (2007–2023) — 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; Joey Votto finished with 2,135 hits and 356 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 Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS? Joey Votto, with .920 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Joey Votto's .294.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Joey Votto's 2,135.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Joey Votto's 1,144.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Joey Votto's 43,852.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Joey Votto's 0.
Albert Pujols
Joey Votto
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Joey Votto. 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 | Joey Votto |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 2,056 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 7,252 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,914 | 1,171 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 2,135 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 459 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 22 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 703 | 356 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 1,144 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,373 | 1,365 |
| Strikeouts | 1,404 | 1,640 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 117 | 80 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .294 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .409 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .544 | .511 |
| OPS | .918 | Leads: .920 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Joey Votto 58,591 to 43,852 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (2,547 vs 2,580 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
Joey Votto — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Joey Votto 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 Joey Votto: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Joey Votto?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Joey Votto in 11 of 14 categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Joey Votto hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Joey Votto's 356.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Joey Votto, with .920 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Joey Votto's .294.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Joey Votto's 2,135.