Albert Pujols vs Ted Williams: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Ted Williams played 1939–1960 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 Ted Williams (1939–1960) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1930s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Albert Pujols finished with 3,384 hits and 703 home runs; Ted Williams finished with 2,654 hits and 521 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 Ted Williams's 521.
- Who had the higher OPS? Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ted Williams, with .344 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Ted Williams's 2,654.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Ted Williams's 1,839.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ted Williams, with 96,302 career PIV to Albert Pujols's 58,591.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Ted Williams's 0.
Albert Pujols
Ted Williams
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Ted Williams. 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 1930s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Albert Pujols | Ted Williams |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 2,292 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 7,706 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,914 | 1,798 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 2,654 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 525 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 71 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 703 | 521 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 1,839 |
| Walks | 1,373 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,404 | 709 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 117 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | .296 | Leads: .344 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .482 |
| Slugging % | .544 | Leads: .634 |
| OPS | .918 | Leads: 1.116 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ted Williams outpaces Albert Pujols 96,302 to 58,591 — driven by per-season impact — 5,069 PIV per season to 2,547 — rather than by longevity, since Ted Williams played 19 seasons to Albert Pujols's 23. 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
Ted Williams — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ted Williams owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Albert Pujols. Note that PIV actually grades Ted Williams ahead, which means Albert Pujols's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Albert Pujols and Ted Williams careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ted Williams's ended in 1960, and Albert Pujols debuted in 2001. With 3,080 games against 2,292 across 23 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373), while Ted Williams walked more often than struck out (2,021 walks, 709 strikeouts). Albert Pujols was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Ted Williams's slugging percentage of .634 tops Albert Pujols's .544. Best seasons: 2008 for Albert Pujols (1.114 OPS, 37 HR, 116 RBI, .357 avg) and 1941 for Ted Williams (1.287 OPS, 37 HR, 120 RBI, .406 avg).
Albert Pujols vs Ted Williams: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Ted Williams?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Ted Williams in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Ted Williams hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Ted Williams's 521.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Ted Williams, with 1.116 to Albert Pujols's .918.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ted Williams, with .344 to Albert Pujols's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Ted Williams's 2,654.