Hank Aaron vs Al Kaline: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Al Kaline (1953–1974) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Hank Aaron
Al Kaline
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Al Kaline. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Al Kaline |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 3,298 | 2,834 |
| At-Bats | 12,364 | 10,116 |
| Runs | 2,174 | 1,622 |
| Hits | 3,771 | 3,007 |
| Doubles | 624 | 498 |
| Triples | 98 | 75 |
| Home Runs | 755 | 399 |
| RBI | 2,297 | 1,583 |
| Walks | 1,402 | 1,277 |
| Strikeouts | 1,383 | 1,020 |
| Stolen Bases | 240 | 137 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | .297 |
| On-Base % | .374 | .376 |
| Slugging % | .555 | .480 |
| OPS | .928 | .855 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Al Kaline 78,640 to 45,087 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,419 vs 2,049 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
Al Kaline — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Al Kaline owns OBP. 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.