Adrian Beltre vs Miguel Cabrera: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Cabrera 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). Adrian Beltre played 1998–2018 as a hitter; Miguel Cabrera played 2003–2023 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
Adrian Beltre (1998–2018) and Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) — they broke in during the 1990s and the 2000s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Adrian Beltre finished with 3,166 hits and 477 home runs; Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Adrian Beltre's 477.
- Who had the higher OPS? Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Adrian Beltre's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Adrian Beltre's .286.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Adrian Beltre's 3,166.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Adrian Beltre's 1,707.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Adrian Beltre's 22,100.
- Who won more championships? Miguel Cabrera, with 1 World Series title to Adrian Beltre's 0.
Adrian Beltre
Miguel Cabrera
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Adrian Beltre and Miguel Cabrera. 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 2000s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Adrian Beltre | Miguel Cabrera |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,933 | 2,797 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 11,068 | 10,356 |
| Runs | 1,524 | Leads: 1,551 |
| Hits | 3,166 | Leads: 3,174 |
| Doubles | Leads: 636 | 627 |
| Triples | Leads: 38 | 17 |
| Home Runs | 477 | Leads: 511 |
| RBI | 1,707 | Leads: 1,881 |
| Walks | 848 | Leads: 1,258 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,732 | 2,105 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 121 | 40 |
| Batting Avg | .286 | Leads: .306 |
| On-Base % | .339 | Leads: .382 |
| Slugging % | .480 | Leads: .518 |
| OPS | .819 | Leads: .901 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Adrian Beltre 49,680 to 22,100 — driven by per-season impact — 2,366 PIV per season to 1,052 — rather than by longevity, since Miguel Cabrera played 21 seasons to Adrian Beltre's 21. 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).
Adrian Beltre — top 3 seasons by OPS
Miguel Cabrera — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Adrian Beltre owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Miguel Cabrera. PIV agrees: Miguel Cabrera grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Adrian Beltre and Miguel Cabrera careers compare
From 2003 through 2018, Adrian Beltre and Miguel Cabrera were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,933 games for Adrian Beltre and 2,797 for Miguel Cabrera across 21 and 21 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Adrian Beltre struck out more than walked (1,732 to 848); Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258). On the bases, Adrian Beltre stole more often per game played (121 steals in 2,933 games for Adrian Beltre, 40 in 2,797 for Miguel Cabrera). Miguel Cabrera's on-base percentage of .382 tops Adrian Beltre's .339.
Adrian Beltre vs Miguel Cabrera: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Adrian Beltre or Miguel Cabrera?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Adrian Beltre in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Adrian Beltre or Miguel Cabrera hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Adrian Beltre's 477.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Adrian Beltre's .819.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Adrian Beltre's .286.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Adrian Beltre's 3,166.