Hank Aaron vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison

Hank Aaron (1954–1976) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) — 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; Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.

Hank Aaron

Hitter · 1954–1976
Games
3,298
Hits
3,771
Home Runs
755
RBI
2,297
Avg
.305
OPS
.928
View Hank Aaron's full profile →

Pete Rose

Hitter · 1963–1986
Games
3,562
Hits
4,256
Home Runs
160
RBI
1,314
Avg
.303
OPS
.784
View Pete Rose's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Pete Rose. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.

Statistic Hank Aaron Pete Rose
Games 3,298 3,562
At-Bats 12,364 14,053
Runs 2,174 2,165
Hits 3,771 4,256
Doubles 624 746
Triples 98 135
Home Runs 755 160
RBI 2,297 1,314
Walks 1,402 1,566
Strikeouts 1,383 1,143
Stolen Bases 240 198
Batting Avg .305 .303
On-Base % .374 .375
Slugging % .555 .409
OPS .928 .784

PIV Comparison

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Pete Rose 78,640 to 40,772 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (3,419 vs 1,631 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.

Hank Aaron
78,640
Career PIV · 3,419 per season (23 seasons)
Pete Rose
40,772
Career PIV · 1,631 per season (25 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

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

19711.079 OPS47 HR, 118 RBI, .327 avg
19731.045 OPS40 HR, 96 RBI, .301 avg
19591.037 OPS39 HR, 123 RBI, .355 avg

Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS

1969.940 OPS16 HR, 82 RBI, .348 avg
1968.861 OPS10 HR, 49 RBI, .335 avg
1970.855 OPS15 HR, 52 RBI, .316 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Pete Rose owns hits and 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.

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