Rod Carew vs Bill Freehan: Career Stats Comparison
Rod Carew has the better career line of the two, leading 13 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rod Carew played 1967–1985 as a hitter; Bill Freehan played 1961–1976 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
Rod Carew (1967–1985) and Bill Freehan (1961–1976) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Rod Carew finished with 3,053 hits and 92 home runs; Bill Freehan finished with 1,591 hits and 200 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Bill Freehan, with 200 to Rod Carew's 92.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rod Carew, with .822 to Bill Freehan's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rod Carew, with .328 to Bill Freehan's .262.
- Who had more hits? Rod Carew, with 3,053 to Bill Freehan's 1,591.
- Who drove in more runs? Rod Carew, with 1,015 to Bill Freehan's 758.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rod Carew, with 35,141 career PIV to Bill Freehan's 12,940.
- Who won more championships? Bill Freehan, with 1 World Series title to Rod Carew's 0.
Bill Freehan
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rod Carew and Bill Freehan. 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 | Rod Carew | Bill Freehan |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,469 | 1,774 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,315 | 6,073 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,424 | 706 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,053 | 1,591 |
| Doubles | Leads: 445 | 241 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 35 |
| Home Runs | 92 | Leads: 200 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,015 | 758 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,018 | 626 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,028 | 753 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 353 | 24 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .328 | .262 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .393 | .340 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .429 | .412 |
| OPS | Leads: .822 | .752 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rod Carew outpaces Bill Freehan 35,141 to 12,940 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,850 PIV per season to 863, across 19 seasons to 15. 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).
Rod Carew — top 3 seasons by OPS
Bill Freehan — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rod Carew leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Bill Freehan owns home runs. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rod Carew. PIV agrees: Rod Carew grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rod Carew and Bill Freehan careers compare
From 1967 through 1976, Rod Carew and Bill Freehan were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,469 games for Rod Carew and 1,774 for Bill Freehan across 19 and 15 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. The green cells for Bill Freehan are home runs (200 to 92). At the plate, Rod Carew struck out more than walked (1,028 to 1,018), and Bill Freehan struck out more than walked (753 to 626). Home runs make up a larger share of Bill Freehan's hits: 92 of 3,053 for Rod Carew, 200 of 1,591 for Bill Freehan.
Rod Carew vs Bill Freehan: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rod Carew or Bill Freehan?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rod Carew leads Bill Freehan in 13 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rod Carew or Bill Freehan hit more home runs?
- Bill Freehan, with 200 to Rod Carew's 92.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rod Carew, with .822 to Bill Freehan's .752.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rod Carew, with .328 to Bill Freehan's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Rod Carew, with 3,053 to Bill Freehan's 1,591.