Cecil Fielder vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison
Rafael Palmeiro has the better career line of the two, leading 14 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Cecil Fielder played 1985–1998 as a hitter; Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 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
Cecil Fielder (1985–1998) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) — both broke in during the 1980s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Cecil Fielder finished with 1,313 hits and 319 home runs; Rafael Palmeiro finished with 3,020 hits and 569 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Cecil Fielder's 319.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Cecil Fielder's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Cecil Fielder's .255.
- Who had more hits? Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Cecil Fielder's 1,313.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Cecil Fielder's 1,008.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Cecil Fielder's 13,970.
- Who won more championships? Cecil Fielder, with 1 World Series title to Rafael Palmeiro's 0.
Cecil Fielder
Rafael Palmeiro
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cecil Fielder and Rafael Palmeiro. 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 | Cecil Fielder | Rafael Palmeiro |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,470 | Leads: 2,831 |
| At-Bats | 5,157 | Leads: 10,472 |
| Runs | 744 | Leads: 1,663 |
| Hits | 1,313 | Leads: 3,020 |
| Doubles | 200 | Leads: 585 |
| Triples | 7 | Leads: 38 |
| Home Runs | 319 | Leads: 569 |
| RBI | 1,008 | Leads: 1,835 |
| Walks | 693 | Leads: 1,353 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,316 | 1,348 |
| Stolen Bases | 2 | Leads: 97 |
| Batting Avg | .255 | Leads: .288 |
| On-Base % | .345 | Leads: .371 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .827 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro outpaces Cecil Fielder 42,814 to 13,970 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,141 PIV per season to 931, across 20 seasons to 15. 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).
Cecil Fielder — top 3 seasons by OPS
Rafael Palmeiro — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Palmeiro leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Cecil Fielder owns no headline categories. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rafael Palmeiro. PIV agrees: Rafael Palmeiro grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Cecil Fielder and Rafael Palmeiro careers compare
From 1986 through 1998, Cecil Fielder and Rafael Palmeiro were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Cecil Fielder appeared in 1,470 games to Rafael Palmeiro's 2,831. Rafael Palmeiro leads every scored row of the table. At the plate, Cecil Fielder struck out more than walked (1,316 to 693), while Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts). Best seasons: 1990 for Cecil Fielder (.969 OPS, 51 HR, 132 RBI, .277 avg) and 1999 for Rafael Palmeiro (1.050 OPS, 47 HR, 148 RBI, .324 avg).
Cecil Fielder vs Rafael Palmeiro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cecil Fielder or Rafael Palmeiro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rafael Palmeiro leads Cecil Fielder in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cecil Fielder or Rafael Palmeiro hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Cecil Fielder's 319.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Cecil Fielder's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Cecil Fielder's .255.
- Who had more hits?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 3,020 to Cecil Fielder's 1,313.