George Foster vs Pete Rose: Career Stats Comparison
George Foster (1969–1986) and Pete Rose (1963–1986) — both broke in during the 1960s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. George Foster finished with 1,925 hits and 348 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.
George Foster
Pete Rose
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for George Foster and Pete Rose. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity; the rate stats at the bottom are era-agnostic.
| Statistic | George Foster | Pete Rose |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,977 | 3,562 |
| At-Bats | 7,023 | 14,053 |
| Runs | 986 | 2,165 |
| Hits | 1,925 | 4,256 |
| Doubles | 307 | 746 |
| Triples | 47 | 135 |
| Home Runs | 348 | 160 |
| RBI | 1,239 | 1,314 |
| Walks | 666 | 1,566 |
| Strikeouts | 1,419 | 1,143 |
| Stolen Bases | 51 | 198 |
| Batting Avg | .274 | .303 |
| On-Base % | .338 | .375 |
| Slugging % | .480 | .409 |
| OPS | .818 | .784 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Pete Rose outpaces George Foster 40,772 to 20,637 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,631 vs 1,032 per year). PIV adjusts each season to league baselines, so it's the cleanest way to compare careers across eras.
Peak Seasons
The best single seasons each player produced, ranked by OPS among qualified workloads (300+ at-bats).
George Foster — top 3 seasons by OPS
Pete Rose — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Pete Rose leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while George Foster owns home runs 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.