George Brett vs Hal McRae: Career Stats Comparison
George Brett has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). George Brett played 1973–1993 as a hitter; Hal McRae played 1968–1987 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
George Brett (1973–1993) and Hal McRae (1968–1987) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 home runs; Hal McRae finished with 2,091 hits and 191 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? George Brett, with 317 to Hal McRae's 191.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Brett, with .857 to Hal McRae's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Brett, with .305 to Hal McRae's .290.
- Who had more hits? George Brett, with 3,154 to Hal McRae's 2,091.
- Who drove in more runs? George Brett, with 1,596 to Hal McRae's 1,097.
- Who has the higher career PIV? George Brett, with 41,511 career PIV to Hal McRae's 19,055.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
George Brett
Hal McRae
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Brett and Hal McRae. 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 1970s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Brett | Hal McRae |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,707 | 2,084 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,349 | 7,218 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,583 | 940 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,154 | 2,091 |
| Doubles | Leads: 665 | 484 |
| Triples | Leads: 137 | 66 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 317 | 191 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,596 | 1,097 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,096 | 648 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 908 | 779 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 201 | 109 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .290 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .369 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .487 | .454 |
| OPS | Leads: .857 | .805 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), George Brett outpaces Hal McRae 41,511 to 19,055 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,977 PIV per season to 1,003, across 21 seasons to 19. 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).
George Brett — top 3 seasons by OPS
Hal McRae — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Brett leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hal McRae owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to George Brett. PIV agrees: George Brett grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the George Brett and Hal McRae careers compare
George Brett and Hal McRae were active at the same time between 1973 and 1987. With 2,707 games against 2,084 across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. George Brett leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 strikeouts), while Hal McRae struck out more than walked (779 to 648). George Brett was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. On the peak-season lists, George Brett's best year is 1980 at 1.118 OPS and Hal McRae's is 1982 at .910 OPS; George Brett has the stronger single season.
George Brett vs Hal McRae: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Brett or Hal McRae?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Brett leads Hal McRae in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Brett or Hal McRae hit more home runs?
- George Brett, with 317 to Hal McRae's 191.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Brett, with .857 to Hal McRae's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Brett, with .305 to Hal McRae's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- George Brett, with 3,154 to Hal McRae's 2,091.