Harold Baines vs Albert Belle: Career Stats Comparison
Harold Baines 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). Harold Baines played 1980–2001 as a hitter; Albert Belle played 1989–2000 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
Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Albert Belle (1989–2000) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Harold Baines finished with 2,866 hits and 384 home runs; Albert Belle finished with 1,726 hits and 381 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Harold Baines, with 384 to Albert Belle's 381.
- Who had the higher OPS? Albert Belle, with .933 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Albert Belle, with .295 to Harold Baines's .289.
- Who had more hits? Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Albert Belle's 1,726.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to Albert Belle's 1,239.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Albert Belle, with 29,356 career PIV to Harold Baines's 25,497.
Harold Baines
Albert Belle
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and Albert Belle. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harold Baines | Albert Belle |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,830 | 1,539 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,908 | 5,853 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,299 | 974 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,866 | 1,726 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 389 |
| Triples | Leads: 49 | 21 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 384 | 381 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 1,239 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,062 | 683 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 961 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 88 |
| Batting Avg | .289 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .369 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .564 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .933 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Albert Belle leads Harold Baines 29,356 to 25,497 — driven by per-season impact — 2,446 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since Albert Belle played 12 seasons to Harold Baines's 27. 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).
Harold Baines — top 3 seasons by OPS
Albert Belle — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Albert Belle leads in stolen bases, batting average, OBP, and OPS, while Harold Baines owns hits, home runs, and RBI. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Albert Belle. PIV agrees: Albert Belle grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harold Baines and Albert Belle careers compare
The careers of Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Albert Belle (1989–2000) overlapped from 1989 to 2000, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Harold Baines has the far longer record, 2,830 games against 1,539 across 27 and 12 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. At the plate, Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062), and Albert Belle struck out more than walked (961 to 683). Albert Belle is the more power-leaning hitter, with 381 of 1,726 hits leaving the park. In slugging percentage, Albert Belle holds the edge, .564 to .465.
Harold Baines vs Albert Belle: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Albert Belle?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harold Baines leads Albert Belle in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Albert Belle hit more home runs?
- Harold Baines, with 384 to Albert Belle's 381.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Albert Belle, with .933 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Albert Belle, with .295 to Harold Baines's .289.
- Who had more hits?
- Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Albert Belle's 1,726.