Harold Baines vs Jim Rice: 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; Jim Rice played 1974–1989 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 Jim Rice (1974–1989) — 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; Jim Rice finished with 2,452 hits and 382 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 Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Rice, with .854 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Harold Baines's .289.
- Who had more hits? Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Jim Rice's 2,452.
- Who drove in more runs? Harold Baines, with 1,628 to Jim Rice's 1,451.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Rice, with 31,418 career PIV to Harold Baines's 25,497.
Harold Baines
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Harold Baines and Jim Rice. 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 | Jim Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,830 | 2,089 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,908 | 8,225 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,299 | 1,249 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,866 | 2,452 |
| Doubles | Leads: 488 | 373 |
| Triples | 49 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 384 | 382 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,628 | 1,451 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,062 | 670 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,441 | 1,423 |
| Stolen Bases | 34 | Leads: 58 |
| Batting Avg | .289 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .356 | .352 |
| Slugging % | .465 | Leads: .502 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .854 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Rice leads Harold Baines 31,418 to 25,497 — driven by per-season impact — 1,964 PIV per season to 944 — rather than by longevity, since Jim Rice played 16 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
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Harold Baines leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jim Rice owns stolen bases, batting average, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Harold Baines. Note that PIV actually grades Jim Rice ahead, which means Harold Baines's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Harold Baines and Jim Rice careers compare
Harold Baines and Jim Rice were active at the same time between 1980 and 1989. The two careers are close in length, 2,830 games for Harold Baines and 2,089 for Jim Rice across 27 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Harold Baines struck out more than walked (1,441 to 1,062); Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670). Jim Rice's slugging percentage of .502 tops Harold Baines's .465.
Harold Baines vs Jim Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Harold Baines or Jim Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Harold Baines leads Jim Rice in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Harold Baines or Jim Rice hit more home runs?
- Harold Baines, with 384 to Jim Rice's 382.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Rice, with .854 to Harold Baines's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Harold Baines's .289.
- Who had more hits?
- Harold Baines, with 2,866 to Jim Rice's 2,452.