Hank Aaron vs Barry Bonds: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds are close to even, splitting the 14 scored categories on this page 7–7 (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). 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. 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 1980s were 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 not scored | 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 through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Barry Bonds leads Hank Aaron 96,025 to 78,640 — driven by per-season impact — 4,365 PIV per season to 3,419 — rather than by longevity, since Barry Bonds played 22 seasons to Hank Aaron'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).
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
How the Hank Aaron and Barry Bonds careers compare
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) was finished before Barry Bonds (1986–2007) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 3,298 games for Hank Aaron and 2,986 for Barry Bonds across 23 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts); Barry Bonds walked more often than struck out (2,558 walks, 1,539 strikeouts). On the bases, Barry Bonds stole more often per game played (240 steals in 3,298 games for Hank Aaron, 514 in 2,986 for Barry Bonds). Barry Bonds's slugging percentage of .607 tops Hank Aaron's .555.
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.