Albert Pujols vs Ben Zobrist: Career Stats Comparison
Albert Pujols has the better career line of the two, leading 13 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; Ben Zobrist played 2006–2019 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 Ben Zobrist (2006–2019) — 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; Ben Zobrist finished with 1,566 hits and 167 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 Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Pujols, with .918 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Pujols, with .296 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits? Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.
- Who drove in more runs? Albert Pujols, with 2,218 to Ben Zobrist's 768.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Pujols, with 58,591 career PIV to Ben Zobrist's 10,712.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Albert Pujols
Ben Zobrist
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Albert Pujols and Ben Zobrist. 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 | Ben Zobrist |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,080 | 1,651 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,421 | 5,880 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,914 | 884 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,384 | 1,566 |
| Doubles | Leads: 686 | 349 |
| Triples | 16 | Leads: 44 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 703 | 167 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,218 | 768 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,373 | 832 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,404 | 994 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 117 | 116 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .296 | .266 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .357 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .544 | .426 |
| OPS | Leads: .918 | .783 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Pujols outpaces Ben Zobrist 58,591 to 10,712 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,547 PIV per season to 714, across 23 seasons to 15. 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
Ben Zobrist — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Pujols leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ben Zobrist owns no headline categories. 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 Ben Zobrist careers compare
From 2006 through 2019, Albert Pujols and Ben Zobrist were in the majors together. The table compares 3,080 games of Albert Pujols with 1,651 of Ben Zobrist across 23 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Ben Zobrist's edges on the table are triples (44 to 16). Albert Pujols struck out more than walked (1,404 to 1,373); Ben Zobrist struck out more than walked (994 to 832). Home runs make up a larger share of Albert Pujols's hits: 703 of 3,384 for Albert Pujols, 167 of 1,566 for Ben Zobrist.
Albert Pujols vs Ben Zobrist: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Albert Pujols or Ben Zobrist?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Albert Pujols leads Ben Zobrist in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Albert Pujols or Ben Zobrist hit more home runs?
- Albert Pujols, with 703 to Ben Zobrist's 167.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Pujols, with .918 to Ben Zobrist's .783.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Pujols, with .296 to Ben Zobrist's .266.
- Who had more hits?
- Albert Pujols, with 3,384 to Ben Zobrist's 1,566.