Rafael Devers vs Ron Santo: Career Stats Comparison
Ron Santo 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). Rafael Devers has played 2017–present as a hitter; Ron Santo played 1960–1974 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
Rafael Devers (2017–present) and Ron Santo (1960–1974) — they broke in during the 2010s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rafael Devers has 1,359 hits and 272 home runs through October 6, 2026; Ron Santo finished with 2,254 hits and 342 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Ron Santo, with 342 to Rafael Devers's 272.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Devers, with .856 to Ron Santo's .826.
- Who had the higher batting average? Ron Santo, with .277 to Rafael Devers's .274.
- Who had more hits? Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Rafael Devers's 1,359.
- Who drove in more runs? Ron Santo, with 1,331 to Rafael Devers's 845.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Ron Santo, with 33,743 career PIV to Rafael Devers's 15,166.
- Who won more championships? Rafael Devers, with 1 World Series title to Ron Santo's 0.
Rafael Devers
Ron Santo
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rafael Devers and Ron Santo. 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 2010s and the 1960s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Rafael Devers is still active — his totals below are current through October 6, 2026.
| Statistic | Rafael Devers | Ron Santo |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,291 | Leads: 2,243 |
| At-Bats | 4,967 | Leads: 8,143 |
| Runs | 803 | Leads: 1,138 |
| Hits | 1,359 | Leads: 2,254 |
| Doubles | 324 | Leads: 365 |
| Triples | 13 | Leads: 67 |
| Home Runs | 272 | Leads: 342 |
| RBI | 845 | Leads: 1,331 |
| Walks | 539 | Leads: 1,108 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,247 | 1,343 |
| Stolen Bases | 33 | Leads: 35 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | Leads: .277 |
| On-Base % | .348 | Leads: .362 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .508 | .464 |
| OPS | Leads: .856 | .826 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Ron Santo outpaces Rafael Devers 33,743 to 15,166 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,250 PIV per season to 1,517, across 15 seasons to 10. 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).
Rafael Devers — top 3 seasons by OPS
Ron Santo — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Ron Santo leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Rafael Devers owns OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Ron Santo. PIV agrees: Ron Santo grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rafael Devers and Ron Santo careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Ron Santo's ended in 1974, and Rafael Devers debuted in 2017. The table compares 1,291 games of Rafael Devers with 2,243 of Ron Santo across 10 and 15 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. The green cells for Rafael Devers are slugging percentage (.508 to .464) and OPS (.856 to .826). Rafael Devers struck out more than walked (1,247 to 539); Ron Santo struck out more than walked (1,343 to 1,108). Rafael Devers is the more power-leaning hitter, with 272 of 1,359 hits leaving the park. In slugging percentage, Rafael Devers holds the edge, .508 to .464. Rafael Devers's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Rafael Devers vs Ron Santo: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rafael Devers or Ron Santo?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Ron Santo leads Rafael Devers in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rafael Devers or Ron Santo hit more home runs?
- Ron Santo, with 342 to Rafael Devers's 272.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Devers, with .856 to Ron Santo's .826.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Ron Santo, with .277 to Rafael Devers's .274.
- Who had more hits?
- Ron Santo, with 2,254 to Rafael Devers's 1,359.