Orlando Cepeda vs Al Kaline: Career Stats Comparison
Al Kaline has the better career line of the two, leading 12 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 as a hitter; Al Kaline played 1953–1974 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
Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Al Kaline (1953–1974) — both broke in during the 1950s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 home runs; Al Kaline finished with 3,007 hits and 399 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Al Kaline, with 399 to Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS? Al Kaline, with .855 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average? Neither — both are at .297.
- Who had more hits? Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.
- Who drove in more runs? Al Kaline, with 1,583 to Orlando Cepeda's 1,365.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Al Kaline, with 45,087 career PIV to Orlando Cepeda's 32,785.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Al Kaline's 1.
Orlando Cepeda
Al Kaline
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Al Kaline. 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 | Orlando Cepeda | Al Kaline |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,124 | Leads: 2,834 |
| At-Bats | 7,927 | Leads: 10,116 |
| Runs | 1,131 | Leads: 1,622 |
| Hits | 2,351 | Leads: 3,007 |
| Doubles | 417 | Leads: 498 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 75 |
| Home Runs | 379 | Leads: 399 |
| RBI | 1,365 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 1,277 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 1,020 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 137 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .297 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .376 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .480 |
| OPS | .849 | Leads: .855 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Al Kaline outpaces Orlando Cepeda 45,087 to 32,785 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,049 PIV per season to 1,726, 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).
Orlando Cepeda — top 3 seasons by OPS
Al Kaline — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Al Kaline leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Orlando Cepeda owns stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Al Kaline. PIV agrees: Al Kaline grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Orlando Cepeda and Al Kaline careers compare
The careers of Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Al Kaline (1953–1974) overlapped from 1958 to 1974, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 2,124 games for Orlando Cepeda and 2,834 for Al Kaline across 19 and 22 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Orlando Cepeda comes out ahead, it is in stolen bases (142 to 137) and slugging percentage (.499 to .480). At the plate, Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), while Al Kaline walked more often than struck out (1,277 walks, 1,020 strikeouts). Orlando Cepeda was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played.
Orlando Cepeda vs Al Kaline: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Al Kaline?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Al Kaline leads Orlando Cepeda in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Al Kaline hit more home runs?
- Al Kaline, with 399 to Orlando Cepeda's 379.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Al Kaline, with .855 to Orlando Cepeda's .849.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Neither — both are at .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Al Kaline, with 3,007 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.