Harold Baines vs Rickey Henderson: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson 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; 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
Harold Baines (1980–2001) and Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1970s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Harold Baines finished with 2,866 hits and 384 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? Harold Baines, with 384 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Neither — both are at .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Harold Baines, with .289 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Harold Baines's 2,866.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Harold Baines's 25,497.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Harold Baines's 0.
Harold Baines
Rickey Henderson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines 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 1980s and the 1970s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Harold Baines | Rickey Henderson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,830 | Leads: 3,081 |
| At-Bats | 9,908 | Leads: 10,961 |
| Runs | 1,299 | Leads: 2,295 |
| Hits | 2,866 | Leads: 3,055 |
| Doubles | 488 | Leads: 510 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 66 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 384 | 297 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 1,115 |
| Walks | 1,062 | Leads: 2,190 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,694 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 1,406 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .289 | .279 |
| On-Base % | .356 | Leads: .401 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .465 | .419 |
| OPS | Leads: .820 | .820 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Harold Baines 37,642 to 25,497 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,298 PIV per season to 944, across 29 seasons to 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
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and OBP, while Harold Baines owns home runs, RBI, and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rickey Henderson. PIV agrees: Rickey Henderson 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 Rickey Henderson careers compare
From 1980 through 2001, Harold Baines and Rickey Henderson were in the majors together. With 2,830 games against 3,081 across 27 and 29 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062), but Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Harold Baines's hits: 384 of 2,866 for Harold Baines, 297 of 3,055 for Rickey Henderson. On the bases, Rickey Henderson stole more often per game played (34 steals in 2,830 games for Harold Baines, 1,406 in 3,081 for Rickey Henderson).
Harold Baines vs Rickey Henderson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Rickey Henderson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Harold Baines in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Rickey Henderson hit more home runs?
- Harold Baines, with 384 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Neither — both are at .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Harold Baines, with .289 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Harold Baines's 2,866.