Jose Altuve vs Jim Thome: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Thome has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jose Altuve has played 2011–present as a hitter; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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
Jose Altuve (2011–present) and Jim Thome (1991–2012) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jose Altuve has 2,519 hits and 271 home runs through October 12, 2026; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Thome, with 612 to Jose Altuve's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Thome, with .956 to Jose Altuve's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jose Altuve, with .300 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits? Jose Altuve, with 2,519 to Jim Thome's 2,328.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Thome, with 1,699 to Jose Altuve's 939.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Thome, with 51,664 career PIV to Jose Altuve's 22,947.
- Who won more championships? Jose Altuve, with 2 World Series titles to Jim Thome's 0.
Jose Altuve
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jose Altuve and Jim Thome. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Jose Altuve is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Jose Altuve | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,110 | Leads: 2,543 |
| At-Bats | 8,405 | Leads: 8,422 |
| Runs | 1,306 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,519 | 2,328 |
| Doubles | Leads: 479 | 451 |
| Triples | Leads: 34 | 26 |
| Home Runs | 271 | Leads: 612 |
| RBI | 939 | Leads: 1,699 |
| Walks | 696 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,253 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 330 | 19 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .300 | .276 |
| On-Base % | .357 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | .462 | Leads: .554 |
| OPS | .818 | Leads: .956 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Thome outpaces Jose Altuve 51,664 to 22,947 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,067 PIV per season to 1,530, across 25 seasons to 15. 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).
Jose Altuve — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Thome leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and OBP, while Jose Altuve owns hits, stolen bases, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Thome. PIV agrees: Jim Thome grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jose Altuve and Jim Thome careers compare
Jose Altuve and Jim Thome were active at the same time between 2011 and 2012. With 2,110 games against 2,543 across 15 and 25 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Jose Altuve struck out more than walked (1,253 to 696), and Jim Thome struck out more than walked (2,548 to 1,747). Home runs make up a larger share of Jim Thome's hits: 271 of 2,519 for Jose Altuve, 612 of 2,328 for Jim Thome. Jose Altuve was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Jim Thome's slugging percentage of .554 tops Jose Altuve's .462. Because Jose Altuve is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Jose Altuve vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jose Altuve or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Thome leads Jose Altuve in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jose Altuve or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Jim Thome, with 612 to Jose Altuve's 271.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Thome, with .956 to Jose Altuve's .818.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jose Altuve, with .300 to Jim Thome's .276.
- Who had more hits?
- Jose Altuve, with 2,519 to Jim Thome's 2,328.