Barry Bonds vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Barry Bonds 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). Barry Bonds played 1986–2007 as a hitter; Pete Rose played 1963–1986 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
Barry Bonds (1986–2007) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Barry Bonds finished with 2,935 hits and 762 home runs; Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Barry Bonds, with 762 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Barry Bonds's .298.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Barry Bonds's 2,935.
- Who drove in more runs? Barry Bonds, with 1,996 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Barry Bonds, with 96,025 career PIV to Pete Rose's 40,772.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Barry Bonds's 0.
Barry Bonds
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Barry Bonds and Pete Rose. 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 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Barry Bonds | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,986 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 9,847 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,227 | 2,165 |
| Hits | 2,935 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 601 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | 77 | Leads: 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 762 | 160 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,996 | 1,314 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,558 | 1,566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,539 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 514 | 198 |
| Batting Avg | .298 | Leads: .303 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .444 | .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .607 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.051 | .784 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Barry Bonds outpaces Pete Rose 96,025 to 40,772 — driven by per-season impact — 4,365 PIV per season to 1,631 — rather than by longevity, since Barry Bonds played 22 seasons to Pete Rose's 25. 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).
Barry Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Barry Bonds leads in home runs, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Pete Rose owns hits and batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Barry Bonds. PIV agrees: Barry Bonds grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Barry Bonds and Pete Rose careers compare
From 1986 through 1986, Barry Bonds and Pete Rose were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,986 games for Barry Bonds and 3,562 for Pete Rose across 22 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. At the plate, Barry Bonds walked more often than struck out (2,558 walks, 1,539 strikeouts), and Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Barry Bonds's hits: 762 of 2,935 for Barry Bonds, 160 of 4,256 for Pete Rose.
Barry Bonds vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Barry Bonds or Pete Rose?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Barry Bonds leads Pete Rose in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Barry Bonds or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Barry Bonds, with 762 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Barry Bonds, with 1.051 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Barry Bonds's .298.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Barry Bonds's 2,935.