Hank Aaron vs Mike Schmidt: Career Stats Comparison
Hank Aaron has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Mike Schmidt played 1972–1989 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 Mike Schmidt (1972–1989) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Mike Schmidt finished with 2,234 hits and 548 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 Mike Schmidt's 548.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Mike Schmidt's .908.
- Who had the higher batting average? Hank Aaron, with .305 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Mike Schmidt's 1,595.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Mike Schmidt's 49,630.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Hank Aaron
Mike Schmidt
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Mike Schmidt. 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 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Mike Schmidt |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,404 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 8,352 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,506 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 2,234 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 408 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 59 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 548 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 1,595 |
| Walks | 1,402 | Leads: 1,507 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 1,883 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 240 | 174 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .267 |
| On-Base % | .374 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .527 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .908 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Mike Schmidt 78,640 to 49,630 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 2,757, 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
Mike Schmidt — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Mike Schmidt 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.
Related Matchups
How the Hank Aaron and Mike Schmidt careers compare
Hank Aaron and Mike Schmidt were active at the same time between 1972 and 1976. The two careers are close in length, 3,298 games for Hank Aaron and 2,404 for Mike Schmidt across 23 and 18 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Mike Schmidt's edges on the table are walks (1,507 to 1,402) and on-base percentage (.380 to .374). At the plate, Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), while Mike Schmidt struck out more than walked (1,883 to 1,507). On the bases, Hank Aaron stole more often per game played (240 steals in 3,298 games for Hank Aaron, 174 in 2,404 for Mike Schmidt).
Hank Aaron vs Mike Schmidt: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Mike Schmidt?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Mike Schmidt in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Mike Schmidt hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Mike Schmidt's 548.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Mike Schmidt's .908.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Hank Aaron, with .305 to Mike Schmidt's .267.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Mike Schmidt's 2,234.