Hank Aaron vs Barry Bonds: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds are close to even, splitting the 14 statistical categories compared on this page 7–7. Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Barry Bonds played 1986–2007 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 Barry Bonds (1986–2007) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Barry Bonds finished with 2,935 hits and 762 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Barry Bonds, with 762 to Hank Aaron's 755.
- Who had the higher OPS? Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Barry Bonds's .298.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Barry Bonds's 2,935.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Barry Bonds's 1,996.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Barry Bonds, with 96,025 career PIV to Hank Aaron's 78,640.
- Who won more championships? Hank Aaron, with 1 World Series title to Barry Bonds's 0.
Hank Aaron
Barry Bonds
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds. 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 | Hank Aaron | Barry Bonds |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,986 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 9,847 |
| Runs | 2,174 | Leads: 2,227 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,935 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 601 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 77 |
| Home Runs | 755 | Leads: 762 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,996 |
| Walks | 1,402 | Leads: 2,558 |
| Strikeouts | 1,383 | 1,539 |
| Stolen Bases | 240 | Leads: 514 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .298 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .444 |
| Slugging % | .555 | Leads: .607 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: 1.051 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Barry Bonds leads Hank Aaron 96,025 to 78,640 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (4,365 vs 3,419 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).
Hank Aaron — top 3 seasons by OPS
Barry Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Barry Bonds leads in home runs, runs, stolen bases, and OBP, while Hank Aaron owns hits, RBI, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Barry Bonds. PIV agrees: Barry Bonds grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Hank Aaron vs Barry Bonds: Frequently Asked Questions
- Did Hank Aaron or Barry Bonds hit more home runs?
- Barry Bonds, with 762 to Hank Aaron's 755.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Barry Bonds's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Barry Bonds's 2,935.