Miguel Cabrera vs Carlos Santana: Career Stats Comparison
Miguel Cabrera has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Carlos Santana has played 2010–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 Carlos Santana (2010–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; Carlos Santana has 1,882 hits and 335 home runs through October 6, 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 Carlos Santana's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS? Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Carlos Santana's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average? Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Carlos Santana's .240.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Carlos Santana's 1,882.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Carlos Santana's 1,136.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Carlos Santana's 15,027.
- Who won more championships? Miguel Cabrera, with 1 World Series title to Carlos Santana's 0.
Miguel Cabrera
Carlos Santana
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Santana. 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.
Carlos Santana is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Miguel Cabrera | Carlos Santana |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 2,212 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 7,839 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,108 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 1,882 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 405 |
| Triples | 17 | 17 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 335 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 1,136 |
| Walks | 1,258 | Leads: 1,332 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,548 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 65 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .306 | .240 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .424 |
| OPS | Leads: .901 | .775 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Carlos Santana 49,680 to 15,027 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,366 PIV per season to 791, 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
Carlos Santana — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Carlos Santana 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 Carlos Santana careers compare
From 2010 through 2023, Miguel Cabrera and Carlos Santana were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,797 games for Miguel Cabrera and 2,212 for Carlos Santana across 21 and 19 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Carlos Santana are walks (1,332 to 1,258) and stolen bases (65 to 40). Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258); Carlos Santana struck out more than walked (1,548 to 1,332). Miguel Cabrera's slugging percentage of .518 tops Carlos Santana's .424. Because Carlos Santana is still playing, the totals above will keep moving through the season.
Miguel Cabrera vs Carlos Santana: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Carlos Santana?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Carlos Santana in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Carlos Santana hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Carlos Santana's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Carlos Santana's .775.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .306 to Carlos Santana's .240.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Carlos Santana's 1,882.