Carlton Fisk 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). Carlton Fisk played 1969–1993 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

Carlton Fisk (1969–1993) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Carlton Fisk finished with 2,356 hits and 376 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? Carlton Fisk, with 376 to Pete Rose's 160.
  • Who had the higher OPS? Carlton Fisk, with .797 to Pete Rose's .784.
  • Who had the higher batting average? Pete Rose, with .303 to Carlton Fisk's .269.
  • Who had more hits? Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Carlton Fisk's 2,356.
  • Who drove in more runs? Carlton Fisk, with 1,330 to Pete Rose's 1,314.
  • Who has the higher career PIV? Pete Rose, with 40,772 career PIV to Carlton Fisk's 21,513.
  • Who won more championships? Pete Rose, with 3 World Series titles to Carlton Fisk's 0.
Leads Pete Rose 10 of 14 scored categories
PIV edge Pete Rose +19,259
Read the verdict ↓

Carlton Fisk

Hitter · 1969–1993
Games
2,499
Hits
2,356
Home Runs
376
RBI
1,330
Avg
.269
OPS
.797
View Carlton Fisk's full profile →

Pete Rose

Hitter · 1963–1986
Games
3,562
Hits
4,256
Home Runs
160
RBI
1,314
Avg
.303
OPS
.784
View Pete Rose's full profile →

Career Stats Side-by-Side

Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Carlton Fisk 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.

Carlton Fisk vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison — Career Stats Side-by-Side
Statistic Carlton Fisk Pete Rose
Games 2,499 Leads: 3,562
At-Bats 8,756 Leads: 14,053
Runs 1,276 Leads: 2,165
Hits 2,356 Leads: 4,256
Doubles 421 Leads: 746
Triples 47 Leads: 135
Home Runs Leads: 376 160
RBI Leads: 1,330 1,314
Walks 849 Leads: 1,566
Strikeouts not scored 1,386 1,143
Stolen Bases 128 Leads: 198
Batting Avg .269 Leads: .303
On-Base % .341 Leads: .375
Slugging % Leads: .457 .409
OPS Leads: .797 .784

PIV Comparison through 2025

By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Rose outpaces Carlton Fisk 40,772 to 21,513 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,631 PIV per season to 896, across 25 seasons to 24. 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.

Carlton Fisk
21,513
Career PIV · 896 per season (24 seasons)
Pete Rose
40,772
Career PIV · 1,631 per season (25 seasons)

How PIV is calculated →

Peak Seasons

The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).

Carlton Fisk — top 3 seasons by OPS

1977.922 OPS26 HR, 102 RBI, .315 avg
1972.909 OPS22 HR, 61 RBI, .293 avg
1983.874 OPS26 HR, 86 RBI, .289 avg

Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS

1969.940 OPS16 HR, 82 RBI, .348 avg
1968.861 OPS10 HR, 49 RBI, .335 avg
1970.855 OPS15 HR, 52 RBI, .316 avg

Verdict

On the head-to-head card, Pete Rose leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Carlton Fisk 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 Carlton Fisk and Pete Rose careers compare

From 1969 through 1986, Carlton Fisk and Pete Rose were in the majors together. The two careers are close in length, 2,499 games for Carlton Fisk and 3,562 for Pete Rose across 24 and 25 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Where Carlton Fisk comes out ahead, it is in home runs (376 to 160), RBI (1,330 to 1,314), and slugging percentage (.457 to .409). At the plate, Carlton Fisk struck out more than walked (1,386 to 849), while Pete Rose walked more often than struck out (1,566 walks, 1,143 strikeouts).

Carlton Fisk vs Pete Rose: Frequently Asked Questions

Who was better, Carlton Fisk or Pete Rose?
By the career statistics compared on this page, Pete Rose leads Carlton Fisk in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
Did Carlton Fisk or Pete Rose hit more home runs?
Carlton Fisk, with 376 to Pete Rose's 160.
Who had the higher OPS?
Carlton Fisk, with .797 to Pete Rose's .784.
Who had the higher batting average?
Pete Rose, with .303 to Carlton Fisk's .269.
Who had more hits?
Pete Rose, with 4,256 to Carlton Fisk's 2,356.

See These Players in Another Era