Kevin Brown vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison

Kevin Brown and Rafael Palmeiro played different roles, so their careers are compared side by side rather than scored against each other. Kevin Brown played 1986–2005 as a pitcher; Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 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

Kevin Brown (1986–2005) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) played opposite sides of the ball, so there is no honest category-by-category scoreboard for this matchup. Kevin Brown pitched, totalling 211 wins and 2,397 strikeouts; Rafael Palmeiro hit, totalling 3,020 hits and 569 home runs. Each career is shown below in its own discipline, with PIV as the one measure that spans both roles.

Quick answer

  • Who has the higher career PIV? Kevin Brown, with 82,163 career PIV to Rafael Palmeiro's 42,814.
  • Who won more championships? Kevin Brown, with 1 World Series title to Rafael Palmeiro's 0.

Kevin Brown

Pitcher · 1986–2005
Wins
211
Losses
144
Strikeouts
2,397
ERA
3.28
WHIP
1.22
IP
3,256.1
View Kevin Brown's full profile →

Rafael Palmeiro

Hitter · 1986–2005
Games
2,831
Hits
3,020
Home Runs
569
RBI
1,835
Avg
.288
OPS
.885
View Rafael Palmeiro's full profile →

Career Stats, Each in His Own Role

Kevin Brown is shown on pitching lines and Rafael Palmeiro on batting lines. Nothing is marked as a category winner, because these two cards measure different jobs — reading them cell against cell would tell you nothing.

Kevin Brown — Pitcher

Kevin Brown vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison — Kevin Brown — Pitcher
Statistic Kevin Brown
Wins 211
Losses 144
Games 486
Games Started 476
Complete Games 72
Shutouts 17
Saves 0
Strikeouts 2,397
Walks 901
Hits Allowed 3,079
Home Runs Allowed 208
Innings Pitched 3,256.1
ERA 3.28
WHIP 1.22
K/9 6.62
BB/9 2.49

Rafael Palmeiro — Hitter

Kevin Brown vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison — Rafael Palmeiro — Hitter
Statistic Rafael Palmeiro
Games 2,831
At-Bats 10,472
Runs 1,663
Hits 3,020
Doubles 585
Triples 38
Home Runs 569
RBI 1,835
Walks 1,353
Strikeouts 1,348
Stolen Bases 97
Batting Avg .288
On-Base % .371
Slugging % .515
OPS .885

PIV Comparison through 2025

Kevin Brown carries a career pitching PIV of 82,163; Rafael Palmeiro carries a career batting PIV of 42,814. Kevin Brown is the higher of the two at 82,163 to 42,814. Both figures adjust each season to league baselines, but batting PIV and pitching PIV are calibrated separately — so read this as a directional comparison of career impact, not a settled verdict.

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.

Kevin Brown
82,163
Career Pitcher PIV · 4,324 per season (19 seasons)
Rafael Palmeiro
42,814
Career PIV · 2,141 per season (20 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked within his own role — ERA for the pitcher (120+ innings), OPS for the hitter (300+ at-bats).

Kevin Brown — top 3 seasons by ERA (lower is better)

19961.89 ERA17-11, 159 K in 233 IP
19982.38 ERA18-7, 257 K in 257 IP
20032.39 ERA14-9, 185 K in 211 IP

Rafael Palmeiro — top 3 seasons by OPS

19991.050 OPS47 HR, 148 RBI, .324 avg
1995.963 OPS39 HR, 104 RBI, .310 avg
2002.962 OPS43 HR, 105 RBI, .273 avg

Verdict

There is no head-to-head scoreboard for Kevin Brown and Rafael Palmeiro: one pitched and one hit, and no counting stat means the same thing on both cards. On PIV — the one metric that scores both roles against league baselines — Kevin Brown grades higher, 82,163 to 42,814. Because the batting and pitching versions of PIV are calibrated separately, that gap is a directional signal about career impact rather than a ruling on who was the better ballplayer. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.

Related Matchups

How the Kevin Brown and Rafael Palmeiro careers compare

Kevin Brown and Rafael Palmeiro were active at the same time between 1986 and 2005. As a pitcher, Kevin Brown went 211-144 with a 3.28 ERA and 2,397 strikeouts. As a hitter, Rafael Palmeiro collected 3,020 hits and 569 home runs with a .885 OPS. Because one is a pitcher and the other a hitter, the page keeps their statistics in separate tables and uses PIV as the shared yardstick. Their best seasons are measured differently, 1.89 ERA in 1996 for Kevin Brown and 1.050 OPS in 1999 for Rafael Palmeiro.

Kevin Brown vs Rafael Palmeiro: Frequently Asked Questions

Who has the higher career PIV?
Kevin Brown, with 82,163 career PIV to Rafael Palmeiro's 42,814.
Who won more championships?
Kevin Brown, with 1 World Series title to Rafael Palmeiro's 0.
How do Kevin Brown and Rafael Palmeiro compare?
Kevin Brown played 1986–2005 and Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005; this page sets their career totals side by side in every category both accumulated.

See These Players in Another Era