Bobby Bonds vs Jim Rice: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Rice has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 12 scored categories on this page (3 further counting totals are shown but not scored). Bobby Bonds played 1968–1981 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
Bobby Bonds (1968–1981) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) — they debuted in the 1960s and the 1970s respectively and share 8 seasons. Bobby Bonds finished with 1,886 hits and 332 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 leads the career comparison? Jim Rice, in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Rice, with 382 to Bobby Bonds's 332.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Rice, with .854 to Bobby Bonds's .824.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Rice, with .298 to Bobby Bonds's .268.
- Who had more hits? Jim Rice, with 2,452 to Bobby Bonds's 1,886.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Rice, with 1,451 to Bobby Bonds's 1,024.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Rice, with 31,418 career PIV to Bobby Bonds's 25,739.
Bobby Bonds
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Bobby Bonds and Jim Rice. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. 12 of the 15 lines below are scored; the other 3 are shown but not scored. Games and at-bats measure playing time, strikeouts accumulate with a longer career, and a line where both players are at zero was won by neither, so those are left unmarked. 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 | Bobby Bonds | Jim Rice |
|---|---|---|
| Games not scored | 1,849 | 2,089 |
| At-Bats not scored | 7,043 | 8,225 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,258 | 1,249 |
| Hits | 1,886 | Leads: 2,452 |
| Doubles | 302 | Leads: 373 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 79 |
| Home Runs | 332 | Leads: 382 |
| RBI | 1,024 | Leads: 1,451 |
| Walks | Leads: 914 | 670 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,757 | 1,423 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 461 | 58 |
| Batting Avg | .268 | Leads: .298 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .353 | .352 |
| Slugging % | .471 | Leads: .502 |
| OPS | .824 | Leads: .854 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Rice leads Bobby Bonds 31,418 to 25,739 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,964 PIV per season to 1,839, across 16 seasons to 14. PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
Bobby Bonds — top 3 seasons by OPS
Jim Rice — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
Jim Rice leads 8 of the 12 scored categories on the head-to-head card: hits, doubles, triples, home runs, and others. Bobby Bonds leads 4: runs, walks, stolen bases, and on-base percentage. On the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Jim Rice. PIV agrees: Jim Rice grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Bobby Bonds and Jim Rice careers compare
The careers of Bobby Bonds (1968–1981) and Jim Rice (1974–1989) overlapped from 1974 to 1981, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 1,849 games for Bobby Bonds and 2,089 for Jim Rice across 14 and 16 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bobby Bonds are runs (1,258 to 1,249), walks (914 to 670), and stolen bases (461 to 58). Bobby Bonds struck out more than walked (1,757 to 914); Jim Rice struck out more than walked (1,423 to 670).
Bobby Bonds vs Jim Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Bobby Bonds or Jim Rice?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Rice leads Bobby Bonds in 8 of the 12 scored categories.
- Did Bobby Bonds or Jim Rice hit more home runs?
- Jim Rice, with 382 to Bobby Bonds's 332.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Rice, with .854 to Bobby Bonds's .824.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Rice, with .298 to Bobby Bonds's .268.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Rice, with 2,452 to Bobby Bonds's 1,886.