Hank Aaron vs Alex Rodriguez: 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; Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016 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 Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Alex Rodriguez finished with 3,115 hits and 696 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 Alex Rodriguez's 696.
- Who had the higher OPS? Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Alex Rodriguez's 3,115.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Alex Rodriguez's 2,086.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Alex Rodriguez's 54,389.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Hank Aaron
Alex Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Alex Rodriguez. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Alex Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,784 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 10,566 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 2,021 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 3,115 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 548 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 31 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 696 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 2,086 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 1,338 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 2,287 |
| Stolen Bases | 240 | Leads: 329 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .295 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .550 |
| OPS | .928 | Leads: .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Alex Rodriguez 78,640 to 54,389 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 2,472, across 23 seasons to 22. 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
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Alex Rodriguez owns stolen bases, 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 Alex Rodriguez careers compare
Hank Aaron (1954–1976) was finished before Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 3,298 games for Hank Aaron and 2,784 for Alex Rodriguez across 23 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Alex Rodriguez are stolen bases (329 to 240), on-base percentage (.380 to .374), and OPS (.930 to .928). At the plate, Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), while Alex Rodriguez struck out more than walked (2,287 to 1,338). Alex Rodriguez was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Hank Aaron vs Alex Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Alex Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Alex Rodriguez in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Alex Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Alex Rodriguez's 696.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Hank Aaron's .928.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Alex Rodriguez's 3,115.