Rickey Henderson vs Barry Larkin: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 11 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; Barry Larkin played 1986–2004 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 Barry Larkin (1986–2004) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1980s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Barry Larkin finished with 2,340 hits and 198 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rickey Henderson, with .820 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average? Barry Larkin, with .295 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.
- Who drove in more runs? Rickey Henderson, with 1,115 to Barry Larkin's 960.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Barry Larkin's 17,788.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Barry Larkin's 1.
Rickey Henderson
Barry Larkin
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Barry Larkin. 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 1980s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Barry Larkin |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,180 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 7,937 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,329 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 2,340 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 441 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 76 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 297 | 198 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,115 | 960 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 939 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 817 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 379 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .295 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .371 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .444 |
| OPS | Leads: .820 | .815 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Barry Larkin 37,642 to 17,788 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,298 PIV per season to 936, across 29 seasons to 19. 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
Barry Larkin — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Barry Larkin owns batting average. 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 Barry Larkin careers compare
Rickey Henderson and Barry Larkin were active at the same time between 1986 and 2003. With 3,081 games against 2,180 across 29 and 19 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Barry Larkin's edges on the table are triples (76 to 66), batting average (.295 to .279), and slugging percentage (.444 to .419). At the plate, Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), and Barry Larkin walked more often than struck out (939 walks, 817 strikeouts). On the bases, Rickey Henderson stole more often per game played (1,406 steals in 3,081 games for Rickey Henderson, 379 in 2,180 for Barry Larkin).
Rickey Henderson vs Barry Larkin: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Barry Larkin?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Barry Larkin in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Barry Larkin hit more home runs?
- Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Barry Larkin's 198.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rickey Henderson, with .820 to Barry Larkin's .815.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Barry Larkin, with .295 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Barry Larkin's 2,340.