Orlando Cepeda vs Hal McRae: Career Stats Comparison
Orlando Cepeda 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). Orlando Cepeda played 1958–1974 as a hitter; Hal McRae played 1968–1987 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 Hal McRae (1968–1987) — they broke in during the 1950s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Orlando Cepeda finished with 2,351 hits and 379 home runs; Hal McRae finished with 2,091 hits and 191 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Hal McRae's 191.
- Who had the higher OPS? Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Hal McRae's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average? Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Hal McRae's .290.
- Who had more hits? Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Hal McRae's 2,091.
- Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Hal McRae's 1,097.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Orlando Cepeda, with 32,785 career PIV to Hal McRae's 19,055.
- Who won more championships? Orlando Cepeda, with 2 World Series titles to Hal McRae's 1.
Orlando Cepeda
Hal McRae
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Hal McRae. 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 1950s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Orlando Cepeda | Hal McRae |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 2,124 | 2,084 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 7,927 | 7,218 |
| Runs | Leads: 1,131 | 940 |
| Hits | Leads: 2,351 | 2,091 |
| Doubles | 417 | Leads: 484 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 66 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 379 | 191 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,365 | 1,097 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 648 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 779 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 142 | 109 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .297 | .290 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .351 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .454 |
| OPS | Leads: .849 | .805 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Orlando Cepeda outpaces Hal McRae 32,785 to 19,055 — driven by per-season impact — 1,726 PIV per season to 1,003 — rather than by longevity, since Orlando Cepeda played 19 seasons to Hal McRae's 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
Hal McRae — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Orlando Cepeda leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Hal McRae owns OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Orlando Cepeda. PIV agrees: Orlando Cepeda 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 Hal McRae careers compare
The careers of Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Hal McRae (1968–1987) overlapped from 1968 to 1974, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. With 2,124 games against 2,084 across 19 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Hal McRae's edges on the table are doubles (484 to 417), triples (66 to 27), and walks (648 to 588). Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588); Hal McRae struck out more than walked (779 to 648). Home runs make up a larger share of Orlando Cepeda's hits: 379 of 2,351 for Orlando Cepeda, 191 of 2,091 for Hal McRae.
Orlando Cepeda vs Hal McRae: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Hal McRae?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Orlando Cepeda leads Hal McRae in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Hal McRae hit more home runs?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Hal McRae's 191.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Hal McRae's .805.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .297 to Hal McRae's .290.
- Who had more hits?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 2,351 to Hal McRae's 2,091.