Hank Aaron vs Ichiro Suzuki: 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; Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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 Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Hank Aaron finished with 3,771 hits and 755 home runs; Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 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 Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Hank Aaron, with .928 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits? Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Ichiro Suzuki's 3,089.
- Who drove in more runs? Hank Aaron, with 2,297 to Ichiro Suzuki's 780.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Hank Aaron, with 78,640 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
- Who won more championships? Hank Aaron, with 1 World Series title to Ichiro Suzuki's 0.
Hank Aaron
Ichiro Suzuki
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Hank Aaron and Ichiro Suzuki. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Hank Aaron | Ichiro Suzuki |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,298 | 2,653 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 12,364 | 9,934 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,174 | 1,420 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,771 | 3,089 |
| Doubles | Leads: 624 | 362 |
| Triples | Leads: 98 | 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 755 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 2,297 | 780 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,402 | 647 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,383 | 1,080 |
| Stolen Bases | 240 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | .305 | Leads: .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .374 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .555 | .402 |
| OPS | Leads: .928 | .757 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Hank Aaron outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 78,640 to 6,671 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 3,419 PIV per season to 334, across 23 seasons to 20. 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
Ichiro Suzuki — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Hank Aaron leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ichiro Suzuki owns stolen bases and batting average. 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 Ichiro Suzuki careers compare
No season is shared: Hank Aaron played 1954–1976, Ichiro Suzuki 2001–2019. The two careers are close in length, 3,298 games for Hank Aaron and 2,653 for Ichiro Suzuki across 23 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Ichiro Suzuki are stolen bases (509 to 240) and batting average (.311 to .305). Plate discipline differs: Hank Aaron walked more often than struck out (1,402 walks, 1,383 strikeouts), but Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647). Home runs make up a larger share of Hank Aaron's hits: 755 of 3,771 for Hank Aaron, 117 of 3,089 for Ichiro Suzuki.
Hank Aaron vs Ichiro Suzuki: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Hank Aaron or Ichiro Suzuki?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Hank Aaron leads Ichiro Suzuki in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Hank Aaron or Ichiro Suzuki hit more home runs?
- Hank Aaron, with 755 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Hank Aaron, with .928 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Hank Aaron's .305.
- Who had more hits?
- Hank Aaron, with 3,771 to Ichiro Suzuki's 3,089.