Rickey Henderson vs Aaron Judge: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 9 of the 14 scored categories on this page (1 further counting total is shown but not scored). Rickey Henderson played 1979–2003 as a hitter; Aaron Judge has played 2016–present 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 Aaron Judge (2016–present) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 2010s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Aaron Judge has 1,262 hits and 386 home runs through October 12, 2026. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Aaron Judge, with 386 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Aaron Judge, with 1.020 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Aaron Judge, with .291 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Aaron Judge's 1,262.
- Who drove in more runs? Rickey Henderson, with 1,115 to Aaron Judge's 871.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Aaron Judge's 37,037.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Aaron Judge's 0.
Rickey Henderson
Aaron Judge
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Aaron Judge. 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 1970s and the 2010s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
Aaron Judge is still active — his totals below are current through October 12, 2026.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Aaron Judge |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 1,211 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 4,342 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 918 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 1,262 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 213 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 7 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 386 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,115 | 871 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 860 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,454 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 70 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .291 |
| On-Base % | .401 | Leads: .410 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .610 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: 1.020 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson edges Aaron Judge 37,642 to 37,037 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Rickey Henderson played 29 seasons to Aaron Judge's 10, while Aaron Judge carries the higher per-season figure (3,704 to 1,298). 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).
Rickey Henderson — top 3 seasons by OPS
Aaron Judge — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, RBI, runs, and stolen bases, while Aaron Judge owns home runs, batting average, and OBP. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rickey Henderson. PIV agrees: Rickey Henderson grades out higher across their careers. Click through to each profile for the full season-by-season breakdown.
Related Matchups
How the Rickey Henderson and Aaron Judge careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Rickey Henderson's ended in 2003, and Aaron Judge debuted in 2016. The table compares 3,081 games of Rickey Henderson with 1,211 of Aaron Judge across 29 and 10 PIV seasons; totals favor the longer career by default. At the plate, Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), while Aaron Judge struck out more than walked (1,454 to 860). Aaron Judge is the more power-leaning hitter, with 386 of 1,262 hits leaving the park. Rickey Henderson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. In slugging percentage, Aaron Judge holds the edge, .610 to .419. Aaron Judge's numbers are live and update with each game, so the comparison is a snapshot.
Rickey Henderson vs Aaron Judge: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Aaron Judge?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Aaron Judge in 9 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Aaron Judge hit more home runs?
- Aaron Judge, with 386 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Aaron Judge, with 1.020 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Aaron Judge, with .291 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Aaron Judge's 1,262.