Hank Aaron vs Jeff Bagwell: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron 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). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Jeff Bagwell played 1991–2005 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
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Jeff Bagwell (1991–2005) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Jeff Bagwell finished with 2,314 hits and 449 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Jeff Bagwell's 449.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jeff Bagwell, with .948 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Jeff Bagwell's .297.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Jeff Bagwell's 2,314.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Jeff Bagwell's 1,529.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Jeff Bagwell's 47,120.
- Who won more championships? Hank Aaron, with 1 World Series title to Jeff Bagwell's 0.
Hank Aaron
Jeff Bagwell
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Jeff Bagwell. 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 1950s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Jeff Bagwell |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,150 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 7,797 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,517 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,314 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 488 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 32 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 449 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,529 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 1,401 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 1,558 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 202 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .297 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .408 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .540 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: .948 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Jeff Bagwell 78,640 to 47,120 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 3,141, 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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jeff Bagwell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jeff Bagwell owns OBP and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Hank Aaron. PIV agrees: Hank Aaron grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Jeff Bagwell careers compare
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) was finished before Jeff Bagwell (1991–2005) arrived, so they never shared a league. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Hank Aaron appeared in 3,298 games to Jeff Bagwell's 2,150. The green cells for Jeff Bagwell are on-base percentage (.408 to .374) and OPS (.948 to .928). At the plate, Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), while Jeff Bagwell struck out more than walked (1,558 to 1,401). Jeff Bagwell was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Hank Aaron holds the edge, .555 to .540.
Hank Aaron vs Jeff Bagwell: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Jeff Bagwell?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Jeff Bagwell in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Jeff Bagwell hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Jeff Bagwell's 449.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jeff Bagwell, with .948 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Jeff Bagwell's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Jeff Bagwell's 2,314.