Pete Alonso vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Pete Alonso has played 2019–present as a hitter; Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 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
Pete Alonso (2019–present) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Pete Alonso has 1,112 hits and 307 home runs through October 12, 2026; Rafael Palmeiro finished with 3,020 hits and 569 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Pete Alonso's 307.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Pete Alonso's .861.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Pete Alonso's .255.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Pete Alonso's 1,112.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Pete Alonso's 825.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Pete Alonso's 13,899.
Pete Alonso
Rafael Palmeiro
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Pete Alonso and Rafael Palmeiro. 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 2010s and the 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Pete Alonso is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Pete Alonso | Rafael Palmeiro |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,168 | Leads: 2,831 |
| At-Bats | 4,365 | Leads: 10,472 |
| Runs | 680 | Leads: 1,663 |
| Hits | 1,112 | Leads: 3,020 |
| Doubles | 207 | Leads: 585 |
| Triples | 8 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 307 | Leads: 569 |
| RBI | 825 | Leads: 1,835 |
| Walks | 500 | Leads: 1,353 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,153 | 1,348 |
| Stolen Bases | 23 | Leads: 97 |
| Batting Avg | .255 | Leads: .288 |
| On-Base % | .344 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .517 | .515 |
| OPS | .861 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro outpaces Pete Alonso 42,814 to 13,899 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,141 PIV per season to 1,986, across 20 seasons to 7. 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).
Pete Alonso — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rafael Palmeiro — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Palmeiro leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Pete Alonso owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rafael Palmeiro. PIV agrees: Rafael Palmeiro grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Pete Alonso and Rafael Palmeiro careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rafael Palmeiro's ended in 2005, and Pete Alonso debuted in 2019. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Pete Alonso has appeared in 1,168 games to Rafael Palmeiro's 2,831. Where Pete Alonso comes out ahead, it is in slugging percentage (.517 to .515). Plate discipline differs: Pete Alonso struck out more than walked (1,153 to 500), but Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Pete Alonso's hits: 307 of 1,112 for Pete Alonso, 569 of 3,020 for Rafael Palmeiro. Pete Alonso's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Pete Alonso vs Rafael Palmeiro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Pete Alonso or Rafael Palmeiro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Pete Alonso in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Pete Alonso or Rafael Palmeiro hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Pete Alonso's 307.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Pete Alonso's .861.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Pete Alonso's .255.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Pete Alonso's 1,112.