Hank Aaron vs Rico Carty: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 14 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; Rico Carty played 1963–1979 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 Rico Carty (1963–1979) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Rico Carty finished with 1,677 hits and 204 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 Rico Carty's 204.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Rico Carty's .833.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Rico Carty's .299.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Rico Carty's 1,677.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Rico Carty's 890.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Rico Carty's 21,612.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Hank Aaron
Rico Carty
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Rico Carty. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Rico Carty |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 1,651 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 5,606 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 712 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 1,677 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 278 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 17 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 204 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 890 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 642 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 663 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 21 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .299 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .369 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .464 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .833 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Rico Carty 78,640 to 21,612 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 1,201, across 23 seasons to 18. 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
Rico Carty — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rico Carty 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 Rico Carty careers compare
Hank Aaron and Rico Carty were active at the same time between 1963 and 1976. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Hank Aaron appeared in 3,298 games to Rico Carty's 1,651. Hank Aaron leads every scored row of the table. Plate discipline differs: Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), but Rico Carty struck out more than walked (663 to 642). Hank Aaron is the more power-leaning hitter, with 755 of 3,771 hits leaving the park. Hank Aaron was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Hank Aaron's slugging percentage of .555 tops Rico Carty's .464.
Hank Aaron vs Rico Carty: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Rico Carty?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Rico Carty in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Rico Carty hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Rico Carty's 204.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Rico Carty's .833.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Rico Carty's .299.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Rico Carty's 1,677.