Robinson Cano vs Alex Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Alex Rodriguez 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). Robinson Cano played 2005–2022 as a hitter; Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016 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
Robinson Cano (2005–2022) and Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) — they broke in during the 2000s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Robinson Cano finished with 2,639 hits and 335 home runs; Alex Rodriguez finished with 3,115 hits and 696 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Robinson Cano's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS? Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Robinson Cano's .839.
- Who had the higher batting average? Robinson Cano, with .301 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits? Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Robinson Cano's 2,639.
- Who drove in more runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 2,086 to Robinson Cano's 1,306.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Alex Rodriguez, with 54,389 career PIV to Robinson Cano's 25,312.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 1 World Series title.
Robinson Cano
Alex Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez. 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 | Robinson Cano | Alex Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,267 | Leads: 2,784 |
| At-Bats | 8,773 | Leads: 10,566 |
| Runs | 1,262 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Hits | 2,639 | Leads: 3,115 |
| Doubles | Leads: 572 | 548 |
| Triples | Leads: 33 | 31 |
| Home Runs | 335 | Leads: 696 |
| RBI | 1,306 | Leads: 2,086 |
| Walks | 620 | Leads: 1,338 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,214 | 2,287 |
| Stolen Bases | 51 | Leads: 329 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .301 | .295 |
| On-Base % | .351 | Leads: .380 |
| Slugging % | .488 | Leads: .550 |
| OPS | .839 | Leads: .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Alex Rodriguez outpaces Robinson Cano 54,389 to 25,312 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,472 PIV per season to 1,332, across 22 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).
Robinson Cano — top 3 seasons by OPS
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Alex Rodriguez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Robinson Cano owns batting average. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Alex Rodriguez. PIV agrees: Alex Rodriguez grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Robinson Cano and Alex Rodriguez careers compare
The careers of Robinson Cano (2005–2022) and Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) overlapped from 2005 to 2016, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,267 games for Robinson Cano and 2,784 for Alex Rodriguez across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Robinson Cano are doubles (572 to 548), triples (33 to 31), and batting average (.301 to .295). Robinson Cano struck out more than walked (1,214 to 620); Alex Rodriguez struck out more than walked (2,287 to 1,338).
Robinson Cano vs Alex Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Robinson Cano or Alex Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Alex Rodriguez leads Robinson Cano in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Robinson Cano or Alex Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Robinson Cano's 335.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Alex Rodriguez, with .930 to Robinson Cano's .839.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Robinson Cano, with .301 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Robinson Cano's 2,639.