Miguel Cabrera vs Rod Carew: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Cabrera has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Miguel Cabrera played 2003–2023 as a hitter; Rod Carew played 1967–1985 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
Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) and Rod Carew (1967–1985) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs; Rod Carew finished with 3,053 hits and 92 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Rod Carew's 92.
- Who had the higher OPS? Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Rod Carew's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rod Carew, with .328 to Miguel Cabrera's .306.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Rod Carew's 3,053.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Rod Carew's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Rod Carew's 35,141.
- Who won more championships? Miguel Cabrera, with 1 World Series title to Rod Carew's 0.
Miguel Cabrera
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Rod Carew. 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 2000s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Miguel Cabrera | Rod Carew |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 2,469 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 9,315 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,424 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 3,053 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 445 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 112 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 92 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 1,015 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,258 | 1,018 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,028 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 353 |
| Batting Avg | .306 | Leads: .328 |
| On-Base % | .382 | Leads: .393 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .429 |
| OPS | Leads: .901 | .822 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Rod Carew 49,680 to 35,141 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,366 PIV per season to 1,850, 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).
Miguel Cabrera — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rod Carew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rod Carew owns stolen bases, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Miguel Cabrera. PIV agrees: Miguel Cabrera grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Miguel Cabrera and Rod Carew careers compare
No season is shared: Rod Carew played 1967–1985, Miguel Cabrera 2003–2023. The two careers are close in length, 2,797 games for Miguel Cabrera and 2,469 for Rod Carew across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Rod Carew's edges on the table are triples (112 to 17), stolen bases (353 to 40), and batting average (.328 to .306). Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258); Rod Carew struck out more than walked (1,028 to 1,018). Home runs make up a larger share of Miguel Cabrera's hits: 511 of 3,174 for Miguel Cabrera, 92 of 3,053 for Rod Carew.
Miguel Cabrera vs Rod Carew: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Rod Carew?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Rod Carew in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Rod Carew hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Rod Carew's 92.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Rod Carew's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rod Carew, with .328 to Miguel Cabrera's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Rod Carew's 3,053.