Jimmie Foxx vs Alex Rodriguez: Career Stats Comparison
Alex Rodriguez has the better career line of the two, leading 8 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945 as a hitter; Alex Rodriguez played 1994–2016 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
Jimmie Foxx (1925–1945) and Alex Rodriguez (1994–2016) — they broke in during the 1920s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Jimmie Foxx finished with 2,646 hits and 534 home runs; Alex Rodriguez finished with 3,115 hits and 696 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Jimmie Foxx's 534.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Alex Rodriguez's .930.
- Who had the higher batting average? Jimmie Foxx, with .325 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits? Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Jimmie Foxx's 2,646.
- Who drove in more runs? Alex Rodriguez, with 2,086 to Jimmie Foxx's 1,922.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Jimmie Foxx, with 72,872 career PIV to Alex Rodriguez's 54,389.
- Who won more championships? Jimmie Foxx, with 2 World Series titles to Alex Rodriguez's 1.
Jimmie Foxx
Alex Rodriguez
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Jimmie Foxx and Alex Rodriguez. 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 1920s and the 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Jimmie Foxx | Alex Rodriguez |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 2,317 | Leads: 2,784 |
| At-Bats | 8,134 | Leads: 10,566 |
| Runs | 1,751 | Leads: 2,021 |
| Hits | 2,646 | Leads: 3,115 |
| Doubles | 458 | Leads: 548 |
| Triples | Leads: 125 | 31 |
| Home Runs | 534 | Leads: 696 |
| RBI | 1,922 | Leads: 2,086 |
| Walks | Leads: 1,452 | 1,338 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,311 | 2,287 |
| Stolen Bases | 87 | Leads: 329 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .325 | .295 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .428 | .380 |
| Slugging % | Leads: .609 | .550 |
| OPS | Leads: 1.038 | .930 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Jimmie Foxx outpaces Alex Rodriguez 72,872 to 54,389 — driven by per-season impact — 3,470 PIV per season to 2,472 — rather than by longevity, since Jimmie Foxx played 21 seasons to Alex Rodriguez's 22. 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).
Jimmie Foxx — top 3 seasons by OPS
Alex Rodriguez — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Alex Rodriguez leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jimmie Foxx owns batting average, OBP, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Alex Rodriguez. Note that PIV actually grades Jimmie Foxx ahead, which means Alex Rodriguez's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Jimmie Foxx and Alex Rodriguez careers compare
No season is shared: Jimmie Foxx played 1925–1945, Alex Rodriguez 1994–2016. With 2,317 games against 2,784 across 21 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Plate discipline differs: Jimmie Foxx walked more often than struck out (1,452 walks, 1,311 strikeouts), but Alex Rodriguez struck out more than walked (2,287 to 1,338). Alex Rodriguez was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Jimmie Foxx's slugging percentage of .609 tops Alex Rodriguez's .550. Jimmie Foxx owns the better peak by OPS: 1.218 OPS in 1932 for Jimmie Foxx against 1.067 OPS in 2007 for Alex Rodriguez.
Jimmie Foxx vs Alex Rodriguez: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Jimmie Foxx or Alex Rodriguez?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Alex Rodriguez leads Jimmie Foxx in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Jimmie Foxx or Alex Rodriguez hit more home runs?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 696 to Jimmie Foxx's 534.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jimmie Foxx, with 1.038 to Alex Rodriguez's .930.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Jimmie Foxx, with .325 to Alex Rodriguez's .295.
- Who had more hits?
- Alex Rodriguez, with 3,115 to Jimmie Foxx's 2,646.