Miguel Cabrera vs Scott Rolen: 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; Scott Rolen played 1996–2012 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 Scott Rolen (1996–2012) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs; Scott Rolen finished with 2,077 hits and 316 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 Scott Rolen's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS? Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Scott Rolen's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Scott Rolen's .281.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Scott Rolen's 2,077.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Scott Rolen's 1,287.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Scott Rolen's 20,867.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Miguel Cabrera
Scott Rolen
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Scott Rolen. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Miguel Cabrera | Scott Rolen |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 2,038 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 7,398 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,211 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 2,077 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 517 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 43 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 316 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 1,287 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,258 | 899 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,410 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 118 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .281 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .364 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .490 |
| OPS | Leads: .901 | .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Scott Rolen 49,680 to 20,867 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,366 PIV per season to 1,098, 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
Scott Rolen — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Scott Rolen 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 Scott Rolen careers compare
The careers of Miguel Cabrera (2003–2023) and Scott Rolen (1996–2012) overlapped from 2003 to 2012, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,797 games for Miguel Cabrera and 2,038 for Scott Rolen across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Scott Rolen's edges on the table are triples (43 to 17) and stolen bases (118 to 40). Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258); Scott Rolen struck out more than walked (1,410 to 899).
Miguel Cabrera vs Scott Rolen: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Scott Rolen?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Scott Rolen in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Scott Rolen hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Scott Rolen's 316.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Scott Rolen's .855.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Scott Rolen's .281.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Scott Rolen's 2,077.