Albert Pujols vs Christian Yelich: 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; Christian Yelich has played 2013–present 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 Christian Yelich (2013–present) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Albert Pujols finished with 3,384 hits and 703 home runs; Christian Yelich has 1,845 hits and 245 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Christian Yelich's .282.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Christian Yelich's 910.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Christian Yelich's 20,940.
- Who won more championships? Albert Pujols, with 2 World Series titles to Christian Yelich's 0.
Albert Pujols
Christian Yelich
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Christian Yelich. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Christian Yelich is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Albert Pujols | Christian Yelich |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 1,734 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 6,550 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,914 | 1,102 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 1,845 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 350 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 37 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 703 | 245 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 910 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,373 | 883 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,404 | 1,683 |
| Stolen Bases | 117 | Leads: 232 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .282 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .370 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .544 | .459 |
| OPS | Leads: .918 | .829 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Christian Yelich 58,591 to 20,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 1,611, across 23 seasons to 13. 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
Christian Yelich — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Christian Yelich 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 Christian Yelich careers compare
From 2013 through 2022, Albert Pujols and Christian Yelich were in the majors together. Albert Pujols has the far longer record, 3,080 games against 1,734 across 23 and 13 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Where Christian Yelich comes out ahead, it is in triples (37 to 16) and stolen bases (232 to 117). Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373); Christian Yelich struck out more than walked (1,683 to 883). Home runs make up a larger share of Albert Pujols's hits: 703 of 3,384 for Albert Pujols, 245 of 1,845 for Christian Yelich. Christian Yelich was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Because Christian Yelich is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Albert Pujols vs Christian Yelich: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Christian Yelich?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Christian Yelich in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Christian Yelich hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Christian Yelich's 245.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Christian Yelich's .829.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Christian Yelich's .282.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Christian Yelich's 1,845.