Miguel Cabrera vs Orlando Cepeda: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Cabrera has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 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 Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1950s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs; Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 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 Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS? Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Orlando Cepeda's .297.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Orlando Cepeda's 1,365.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Orlando Cepeda's 32,785.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Miguel Cabrera's 1.
Miguel Cabrera
Orlando Cepeda
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Orlando Cepeda. 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 1950s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Miguel Cabrera | Orlando Cepeda |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 2,124 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 7,927 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,131 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 2,351 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 417 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 27 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 379 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 1,365 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,258 | 588 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,169 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 142 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .297 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .350 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .499 |
| OPS | Leads: .901 | .849 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Orlando Cepeda 49,680 to 32,785 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,366 PIV per season to 1,726, 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
Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Orlando Cepeda owns stolen bases. 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 Orlando Cepeda careers compare
Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) was finished before Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) arrived, so they never shared a league. The two careers are close in length, 2,797 games for Miguel Cabrera and 2,124 for Orlando Cepeda across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Orlando Cepeda are triples (27 to 17) and stolen bases (142 to 40). At the plate, Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258), and Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588). On the bases, Orlando Cepeda stole more often per game played (40 steals in 2,797 games for Miguel Cabrera, 142 in 2,124 for Orlando Cepeda).
Miguel Cabrera vs Orlando Cepeda: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Orlando Cepeda?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Orlando Cepeda in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Orlando Cepeda hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Orlando Cepeda's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.