Hank Aaron vs Shohei Ohtani: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Shohei Ohtani has played 2018–present 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 Shohei Ohtani (2018–present) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Shohei Ohtani has 1,194 hits and 310 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS? Shohei Ohtani, with .948 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Shohei Ohtani's 750.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Shohei Ohtani's 24,591.
- Who won more championships? Shohei Ohtani, with 2 World Series titles to Hank Aaron's 1.
Hank Aaron
Shohei Ohtani
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Shohei Ohtani. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Shohei Ohtani is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Shohei Ohtani |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 1,172 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 4,253 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 797 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 1,194 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 218 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 49 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 310 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 750 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 622 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 1,256 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 176 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .281 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .375 |
| Slugging % | .555 | Leads: .574 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: .948 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Shohei Ohtani 78,640 to 24,591 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 3,074, across 23 seasons to 8. 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
Shohei Ohtani — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Shohei Ohtani owns OBP and OPS. 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 Shohei Ohtani careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Hank Aaron's ended in 1976, and Shohei Ohtani debuted in 2018. The table compares 3,298 games of Hank Aaron with 1,172 of Shohei Ohtani across 23 and 8 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. Shohei Ohtani's edges on the table are on-base percentage (.375 to .374), slugging percentage (.574 to .555), and OPS (.948 to .928). At the plate, Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), while Shohei Ohtani struck out more than walked (1,256 to 622). On the bases, Shohei Ohtani stole more often per game played (240 steals in 3,298 games for Hank Aaron, 176 in 1,172 for Shohei Ohtani). Because Shohei Ohtani is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Hank Aaron vs Shohei Ohtani: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Shohei Ohtani?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Shohei Ohtani in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Shohei Ohtani hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Shohei Ohtani's 310.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Shohei Ohtani, with .948 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Shohei Ohtani's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Shohei Ohtani's 1,194.