Jeff Bagwell vs Rickey Henderson: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jeff Bagwell played 1991–2005 as a hitter; Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 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
Jeff Bagwell (1991–2005) and Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jeff Bagwell finished with 2,314 hits and 449 home runs; Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jeff Bagwell, with 449 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jeff Bagwell, with .948 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jeff Bagwell, with .297 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Jeff Bagwell's 2,314.
- Who drove in more runs? Jeff Bagwell, with 1,529 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jeff Bagwell, with 47,120 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Jeff Bagwell's 0.
Jeff Bagwell
Rickey Henderson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jeff Bagwell and Rickey Henderson. 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 1990s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jeff Bagwell | Rickey Henderson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,150 | Leads: 3,081 |
| At-Bats | 7,797 | Leads: 10,961 |
| Runs | 1,517 | Leads: 2,295 |
| Hits | 2,314 | Leads: 3,055 |
| Doubles | 488 | Leads: 510 |
| Triples | 32 | Leads: 66 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 449 | 297 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,529 | 1,115 |
| Walks | 1,401 | Leads: 2,190 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,558 | 1,694 |
| Stolen Bases | 202 | Leads: 1,406 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .279 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .408 | .401 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .540 | .419 |
| OPS | Leads: .948 | .820 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jeff Bagwell leads Rickey Henderson 47,120 to 37,642 — driven by per-season impact — 3,141 PIV per season to 1,298 — rather than by longevity, since Jeff Bagwell played 15 seasons to Rickey Henderson's 29. 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).
Jeff Bagwell — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jeff Bagwell leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OBP, while Rickey Henderson owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jeff Bagwell. PIV agrees: Jeff Bagwell grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jeff Bagwell and Rickey Henderson careers compare
The careers of Jeff Bagwell (1991–2005) and Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) overlapped from 1991 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,150 games against 3,081 across 15 and 29 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. At the plate, Jeff Bagwell struck out more than walked (1,558 to 1,401), while Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Jeff Bagwell's hits: 449 of 2,314 for Jeff Bagwell, 297 of 3,055 for Rickey Henderson. Rickey Henderson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Jeff Bagwell's slugging percentage of .540 tops Rickey Henderson's .419.
Jeff Bagwell vs Rickey Henderson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jeff Bagwell or Rickey Henderson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Jeff Bagwell in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jeff Bagwell or Rickey Henderson hit more home runs?
- Jeff Bagwell, with 449 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jeff Bagwell, with .948 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jeff Bagwell, with .297 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Jeff Bagwell's 2,314.