Hank Aaron vs George Brett: 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; George Brett played 1973–1993 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 George Brett (1973–1993) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 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 George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to George Brett's 3,154.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to George Brett's 1,596.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to George Brett's 41,511.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Hank Aaron
George Brett
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and George Brett. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | George Brett |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,707 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 10,349 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,583 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 3,154 |
| Doubles | 624 | Leads: 665 |
| Triples | 98 | Leads: 137 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 317 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,596 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 1,096 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 908 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 201 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .305 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .369 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .487 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .857 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces George Brett 78,640 to 41,511 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 1,977, across 23 seasons to 21. 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
George Brett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while George Brett owns no headline categories. 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 George Brett careers compare
Hank Aaron and George Brett were active at the same time between 1973 and 1976. The two careers are close in length, 3,298 games for Hank Aaron and 2,707 for George Brett across 23 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where George Brett comes out ahead, it is in doubles (665 to 624) and triples (137 to 98). Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts); George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Hank Aaron's hits: 755 of 3,771 for Hank Aaron, 317 of 3,154 for George Brett.
Hank Aaron vs George Brett: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or George Brett?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads George Brett in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or George Brett hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to George Brett's 317.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to George Brett's .857.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to George Brett's 3,154.