Rickey Henderson vs Reggie Jackson: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 10 of the 14 statistical categories compared on this page. Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 as a hitter; Reggie Jackson played 1967–1987 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
Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Reggie Jackson (1967–1987) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1960s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Reggie Jackson finished with 2,584 hits and 563 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Reggie Jackson, with .846 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Reggie Jackson's .262.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Reggie Jackson's 2,584.
- Who drove in more runs? Reggie Jackson, with 1,702 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Reggie Jackson, with 41,801 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Reggie Jackson, with 5 World Series titles to Rickey Henderson's 2.
Rickey Henderson
Reggie Jackson
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Reggie Jackson. Cells highlighted in green mark the category leader. Counting stats reward longevity, and strikeouts are left unmarked because a longer career accumulates more of them. Rate stats are not era-adjusted -- a .305 in 1965 and a .298 in 2001 came out of very different run environments -- so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Reggie Jackson |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,820 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 9,864 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,551 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 2,584 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 463 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 49 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 563 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,702 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 1,375 |
| Strikeouts | 1,694 | 2,597 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 228 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .262 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .356 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .490 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .846 |
PIV Comparison
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Reggie Jackson leads Rickey Henderson 41,801 to 37,642 — a gap driven primarily by per-season impact (1,991 vs 1,298 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).
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Reggie Jackson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, runs, stolen bases, and batting average, while Reggie Jackson owns home runs, RBI, and OPS. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rickey Henderson. Note that PIV actually grades Reggie Jackson ahead, which means Rickey Henderson's edge is partly volume. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
Rickey Henderson vs Reggie Jackson: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Reggie Jackson?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Reggie Jackson in 10 of 14 categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Reggie Jackson hit more home runs?
- Reggie Jackson, with 563 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Reggie Jackson, with .846 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Reggie Jackson's .262.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Reggie Jackson's 2,584.