Miguel Cabrera vs Bryce Harper: 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; Bryce Harper has played 2012–present 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 Bryce Harper (2012–present) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs; Bryce Harper has 1,956 hits and 392 home runs through October 12, 2026. 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 Bryce Harper's 392.
- Who had the higher OPS? Bryce Harper, with .902 to Miguel Cabrera's .901.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Bryce Harper's .279.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Bryce Harper's 1,956.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Bryce Harper's 1,138.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Bryce Harper's 34,405.
- Who won more championships? Miguel Cabrera, with 1 World Series title to Bryce Harper's 0.
Miguel Cabrera
Bryce Harper
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Bryce Harper. 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 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Bryce Harper is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Miguel Cabrera | Bryce Harper |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 1,947 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 7,012 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,247 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 1,956 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 433 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 27 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 392 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 1,138 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,258 | 1,212 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,802 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 159 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .279 |
| On-Base % | .382 | Leads: .386 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .516 |
| OPS | .901 | Leads: .902 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Bryce Harper 49,680 to 34,405 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Miguel Cabrera played 21 seasons to Bryce Harper's 14, while Bryce Harper carries the higher per-season figure (2,458 to 2,366). 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
Bryce Harper — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Bryce Harper owns stolen bases, OBP, and OPS. 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 Bryce Harper careers compare
The careers of Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) and Bryce Harper (2012–present) overlapped from 2012 to 2023, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,797 games for Miguel Cabrera and 1,947 for Bryce Harper across 21 and 14 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Bryce Harper's edges on the table are triples (27 to 17), stolen bases (159 to 40), and on-base percentage (.386 to .382). At the plate, Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258), and Bryce Harper struck out more than walked (1,802 to 1,212). Bryce Harper was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Bryce Harper's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Miguel Cabrera vs Bryce Harper: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Bryce Harper?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Bryce Harper in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Bryce Harper hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Bryce Harper's 392.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Bryce Harper, with .902 to Miguel Cabrera's .901.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Bryce Harper's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Bryce Harper's 1,956.