Miguel Cabrera vs Ichiro Suzuki: 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; Ichiro Suzuki played 2001–2019 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 Ichiro Suzuki (2001–2019) — both broke in during the 2000s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Miguel Cabrera finished with 3,174 hits and 511 home runs; Ichiro Suzuki finished with 3,089 hits and 117 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 Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS? Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Miguel Cabrera's .306.
- Who had more hits? Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Ichiro Suzuki's 3,089.
- Who drove in more runs? Miguel Cabrera, with 1,881 to Ichiro Suzuki's 780.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Miguel Cabrera, with 49,680 career PIV to Ichiro Suzuki's 6,671.
- Who won more championships? Miguel Cabrera, with 1 World Series title to Ichiro Suzuki's 0.
Miguel Cabrera
Ichiro Suzuki
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Miguel Cabrera and Ichiro Suzuki. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Miguel Cabrera | Ichiro Suzuki |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,797 | 2,653 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,356 | 9,934 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,551 | 1,420 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,174 | 3,089 |
| Doubles | Leads: 627 | 362 |
| Triples | 17 | Leads: 96 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 511 | 117 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,881 | 780 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,258 | 647 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 2,105 | 1,080 |
| Stolen Bases | 40 | Leads: 509 |
| Batting Avg | .306 | Leads: .311 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .382 | .355 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .518 | .402 |
| OPS | Leads: .901 | .757 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Miguel Cabrera outpaces Ichiro Suzuki 49,680 to 6,671 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,366 PIV per season to 334, across 21 seasons to 20. 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
Ichiro Suzuki — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Miguel Cabrera leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Ichiro Suzuki owns stolen bases and batting average. 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 Ichiro Suzuki careers compare
Miguel Cabrera and Ichiro Suzuki were active at the same time between 2003 and 2019. The two careers are close in length, 2,797 games for Miguel Cabrera and 2,653 for Ichiro Suzuki across 21 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Ichiro Suzuki comes out ahead, it is in triples (96 to 17), stolen bases (509 to 40), and batting average (.311 to .306). Miguel Cabrera struck out more than walked (2,105 to 1,258); Ichiro Suzuki struck out more than walked (1,080 to 647). Home runs make up a larger share of Miguel Cabrera's hits: 511 of 3,174 for Miguel Cabrera, 117 of 3,089 for Ichiro Suzuki.
Miguel Cabrera vs Ichiro Suzuki: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Miguel Cabrera or Ichiro Suzuki?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Miguel Cabrera leads Ichiro Suzuki in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Miguel Cabrera or Ichiro Suzuki hit more home runs?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 511 to Ichiro Suzuki's 117.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Miguel Cabrera, with .901 to Ichiro Suzuki's .757.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ichiro Suzuki, with .311 to Miguel Cabrera's .306.
- Who had more hits?
- Miguel Cabrera, with 3,174 to Ichiro Suzuki's 3,089.