George Brett vs Ivan Rodriguez: 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; Ivan Rodriguez played 1991–2011 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 Ivan Rodriguez (1991–2011) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. George Brett finished with 3,154 hits and 317 home runs; Ivan Rodriguez finished with 2,844 hits and 311 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 Ivan Rodriguez's 311.
- Who had the higher OPS? George Brett, with .857 to Ivan Rodriguez's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average? George Brett, with .305 to Ivan Rodriguez's .296.
- Who had more hits? George Brett, with 3,154 to Ivan Rodriguez's 2,844.
- Who drove in more runs? George Brett, with 1,596 to Ivan Rodriguez's 1,332.
- Who has the higher career PIV? George Brett, with 41,511 career PIV to Ivan Rodriguez's 10,232.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
George Brett
Ivan Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Brett and Ivan Rodriguez. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | George Brett | Ivan Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,707 | 2,543 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,349 | 9,592 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,583 | 1,354 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,154 | 2,844 |
| Doubles | Leads: 665 | 572 |
| Triples | Leads: 137 | 51 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 317 | 311 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,596 | 1,332 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,096 | 513 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 908 | 1,474 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 201 | 127 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .305 | .296 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .369 | .334 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .487 | .464 |
| OPS | Leads: .857 | .798 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), George Brett outpaces Ivan Rodriguez 41,511 to 10,232 — driven by per-season impact — 1,977 PIV per season to 445 — rather than by longevity, since George Brett played 21 seasons to Ivan Rodriguez's 23. 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
Ivan Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, George Brett leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ivan Rodriguez 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 Ivan Rodriguez careers compare
George Brett and Ivan Rodriguez were active at the same time between 1991 and 1993. The two careers are close in length, 2,707 games for George Brett and 2,543 for Ivan Rodriguez across 21 and 23 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. George Brett leads every scored row of the table. Plate discipline differs: George Brett walked more often than struck out (1,096 walks, 908 strikeouts), but Ivan Rodriguez struck out more than walked (1,474 to 513). On the bases, George Brett stole more often per game played (201 steals in 2,707 games for George Brett, 127 in 2,543 for Ivan Rodriguez).
George Brett vs Ivan Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, George Brett or Ivan Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, George Brett leads Ivan Rodriguez in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did George Brett or Ivan Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- George Brett, with 317 to Ivan Rodriguez's 311.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- George Brett, with .857 to Ivan Rodriguez's .798.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- George Brett, with .305 to Ivan Rodriguez's .296.
- Who had more hits?
- George Brett, with 3,154 to Ivan Rodriguez's 2,844.