Cecil Fielder vs Jim Thome: Career Stats Comparison
Jim Thome 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; Jim Thome played 1991–2012 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 Jim Thome (1991–2012) — they broke in during the 1980s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Cecil Fielder finished with 1,313 hits and 319 home runs; Jim Thome finished with 2,328 hits and 612 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Jim Thome, with 612 to Cecil Fielder's 319.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jim Thome, with .956 to Cecil Fielder's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jim Thome, with .276 to Cecil Fielder's .255.
- Who had more hits? Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Cecil Fielder's 1,313.
- Who drove in more runs? Jim Thome, with 1,699 to Cecil Fielder's 1,008.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jim Thome, with 51,664 career PIV to Cecil Fielder's 13,970.
- Who won more championships? Cecil Fielder, with 1 World Series title to Jim Thome's 0.
Cecil Fielder
Jim Thome
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Cecil Fielder and Jim Thome. 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 1980s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Cecil Fielder | Jim Thome |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,470 | Leads: 2,543 |
| At-Bats | 5,157 | Leads: 8,422 |
| Runs | 744 | Leads: 1,583 |
| Hits | 1,313 | Leads: 2,328 |
| Doubles | 200 | Leads: 451 |
| Triples | 7 | Leads: 26 |
| Home Runs | 319 | Leads: 612 |
| RBI | 1,008 | Leads: 1,699 |
| Walks | 693 | Leads: 1,747 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,316 | 2,548 |
| Stolen Bases | 2 | Leads: 19 |
| Batting Avg | .255 | Leads: .276 |
| On-Base % | .345 | Leads: .402 |
| Slugging % | .482 | Leads: .554 |
| OPS | .827 | Leads: .956 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jim Thome outpaces Cecil Fielder 51,664 to 13,970 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 2,067 PIV per season to 931, across 25 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
Jim Thome — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Jim Thome 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 Jim Thome. PIV agrees: Jim Thome 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 Jim Thome careers compare
From 1991 through 1998, Cecil Fielder and Jim Thome were in the majors together. Jim Thome has the far longer record, 2,543 games against 1,470 across 15 and 25 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. Every scored category on the table goes to Jim Thome. At the plate, Cecil Fielder struck out more than walked (1,316 to 693), and Jim Thome struck out more than walked (2,548 to 1,747). Jim Thome's slugging percentage of .554 tops Cecil Fielder's .482. Jim Thome owns the better peak by OPS: .969 OPS in 1990 for Cecil Fielder against 1.122 OPS in 2002 for Jim Thome.
Cecil Fielder vs Jim Thome: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Cecil Fielder or Jim Thome?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Jim Thome leads Cecil Fielder in 14 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Cecil Fielder or Jim Thome hit more home runs?
- Jim Thome, with 612 to Cecil Fielder's 319.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jim Thome, with .956 to Cecil Fielder's .827.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jim Thome, with .276 to Cecil Fielder's .255.
- Who had more hits?
- Jim Thome, with 2,328 to Cecil Fielder's 1,313.