Rod Carew vs Gil Hodges: Career Stats Comparison
Rod Carew has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Gil Hodges played 1943–1963 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 Gil Hodges (1943–1963) — they broke in during the 1960s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rod Carew finished with 3,053 hits and 92 home runs; Gil Hodges finished with 1,921 hits and 370 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Gil Hodges, with 370 to Rod Carew's 92.
- Who had the higher OPS? Gil Hodges, with .846 to Rod Carew's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rod Carew, with .328 to Gil Hodges's .273.
- Who had more hits? Rod Carew, with 3,053 to Gil Hodges's 1,921.
- Who drove in more runs? Gil Hodges, with 1,274 to Rod Carew's 1,015.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rod Carew, with 35,141 career PIV to Gil Hodges's 24,928.
- Who won more championships? Gil Hodges, with 2 World Series titles to Rod Carew's 0.
Gil Hodges
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rod Carew and Gil Hodges. 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 1960s and the 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rod Carew | Gil Hodges |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,469 | 2,071 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 9,315 | 7,030 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,424 | 1,105 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,053 | 1,921 |
| Doubles | Leads: 445 | 295 |
| Triples | Leads: 112 | 48 |
| Home Runs | 92 | Leads: 370 |
| RBI | 1,015 | Leads: 1,274 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,018 | 943 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,028 | 1,137 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 353 | 63 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .328 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .393 | .359 |
| Slugging % | .429 | Leads: .487 |
| OPS | .822 | Leads: .846 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rod Carew outpaces Gil Hodges 35,141 to 24,928 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,850 PIV per season to 1,385, across 19 seasons to 18. 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
Gil Hodges — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rod Carew leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Gil Hodges owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. 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 Gil Hodges careers compare
Gil Hodges (1943–1963) was finished before Rod Carew (1967–1985) arrived, so they never shared a league. With 2,469 games against 2,071 across 19 and 18 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. The green cells for Gil Hodges are home runs (370 to 92), RBI (1,274 to 1,015), and slugging percentage (.487 to .429). At the plate, Rod Carew struck out more than walked (1,028 to 1,018), and Gil Hodges struck out more than walked (1,137 to 943). Home runs make up a larger share of Gil Hodges's hits: 92 of 3,053 for Rod Carew, 370 of 1,921 for Gil Hodges.
Rod Carew vs Gil Hodges: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rod Carew or Gil Hodges?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rod Carew leads Gil Hodges in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rod Carew or Gil Hodges hit more home runs?
- Gil Hodges, with 370 to Rod Carew's 92.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Gil Hodges, with .846 to Rod Carew's .822.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rod Carew, with .328 to Gil Hodges's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Rod Carew, with 3,053 to Gil Hodges's 1,921.