Orlando Cepeda vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
Pete Rose 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; Pete Rose played 1963–1986 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 Pete Rose (1963–1986) — 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; Pete Rose finished with 4,256 hits and 160 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 Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS? Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Orlando Cepeda's .297.
- Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.
- Who drove in more runs? Orlando Cepeda, with 1,365 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Pete Rose, with 40,772 career PIV to Orlando Cepeda's 32,785.
- Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Orlando Cepeda's 2.
Orlando Cepeda
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Orlando Cepeda and Pete Rose. 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 | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,124 | Leads: 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 7,927 | Leads: 14,053 |
| Runs | 1,131 | Leads: 2,165 |
| Hits | 2,351 | Leads: 4,256 |
| Doubles | 417 | Leads: 746 |
| Triples | 27 | Leads: 135 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 379 | 160 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,365 | 1,314 |
| Walks | 588 | Leads: 1,566 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,169 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 142 | Leads: 198 |
| Batting Avg | .297 | Leads: .303 |
| On-Base % | .350 | Leads: .375 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .499 | .409 |
| OPS | Leads: .849 | .784 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Rose leads Orlando Cepeda 40,772 to 32,785 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Pete Rose played 25 seasons to Orlando Cepeda's 19, while Orlando Cepeda carries the higher per-season figure (1,726 to 1,631). 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
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Rose leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Orlando Cepeda owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Pete Rose. PIV agrees: Pete Rose 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 Pete Rose careers compare
The careers of Orlando Cepeda (1958–1974) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) overlapped from 1963 to 1974, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Pete Rose has the far longer record, 3,562 games against 2,124 across 19 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Orlando Cepeda's edges on the table are home runs (379 to 160), RBI (1,365 to 1,314), and slugging percentage (.499 to .409). Plate discipline differs: Orlando Cepeda struck out more than walked (1,169 to 588), but Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts).
Orlando Cepeda vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Orlando Cepeda or Pete Rose?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Orlando Cepeda in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Orlando Cepeda or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
- Orlando Cepeda, with 379 to Pete Rose's 160.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Orlando Cepeda, with .849 to Pete Rose's .784.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Pete Rose, with .303 to Orlando Cepeda's .297.
- Who had more hits?
- Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Orlando Cepeda's 2,351.