Hank Aaron vs Bobby Bonds: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 11 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Hank Aaron played 1954–1976 as a hitter; Bobby Bonds played 1968–1981 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 Bobby Bonds (1968–1981) — they debuted in the 1950s and the 1960s respectively and share 9 seasons. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Bobby Bonds finished with 1,886 hits and 332 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who leads the career comparison? Hank Aaron, in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Hank Aaron, with 755 to Bobby Bonds's 332.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Bobby Bonds's .824.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Bobby Bonds's .268.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Bobby Bonds's 1,886.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Bobby Bonds's 1,024.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Bobby Bonds's 25,739.
Hank Aaron
Bobby Bonds
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Bobby Bonds. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Hank Aaron | Bobby Bonds |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 3,298 | 1,849 |
| At-Bats not scored | 12,364 | 7,043 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,258 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 1,886 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 302 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 66 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 332 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,024 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 914 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 1,757 |
| Stolen Bases | 240 | Leads: 461 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .268 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .353 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .471 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .824 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Bobby Bonds 78,640 to 25,739 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 1,839, across 23 seasons to 14. 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
Bobby Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Hank Aaron leads 11 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: runs, hits, doubles, triples, and others. Bobby Bonds leads 1: stolen bases. 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 Bobby Bonds careers compare
The careers of Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Bobby Bonds (1968–1981) overlapped from 1968 to 1976, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Hank Aaron appeared in 3,298 games to Bobby Bonds's 1,849. Bobby Bonds's edges on the table are stolen bases (461 to 240). Plate discipline differs: Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), but Bobby Bonds struck out more than walked (1,757 to 914). Bobby Bonds was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Hank Aaron's on-base percentage of .374 tops Bobby Bonds's .353.
Hank Aaron vs Bobby Bonds: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Bobby Bonds?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Bobby Bonds in 11 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Bobby Bonds hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Bobby Bonds's 332.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Bobby Bonds's .824.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Bobby Bonds's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Bobby Bonds's 1,886.