Rickey Henderson vs Don Mattingly: 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; Don Mattingly played 1982–1995 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 Don Mattingly (1982–1995) — 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; Don Mattingly finished with 2,153 hits and 222 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 Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS? Don Mattingly, with .830 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Don Mattingly, with .307 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Don Mattingly's 2,153.
- Who drove in more runs? Rickey Henderson, with 1,115 to Don Mattingly's 1,099.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Don Mattingly's 21,189.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Don Mattingly's 0.
Rickey Henderson
Don Mattingly
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Don Mattingly. 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 | Don Mattingly |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 1,785 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 7,003 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,007 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 2,153 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 442 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 20 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 297 | 222 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,115 | 1,099 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 588 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 444 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 14 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .307 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .358 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .471 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .830 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Don Mattingly 37,642 to 21,189 — a longevity gap rather than a per-season one: Rickey Henderson played 29 seasons to Don Mattingly's 14, while Don Mattingly carries the higher per-season figure (1,514 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
Don Mattingly — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Don Mattingly owns batting average and OPS. 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 Don Mattingly careers compare
From 1982 through 1995, Rickey Henderson and Don Mattingly were in the majors together. Playing time explains much of the gap in the counting rows: Rickey Henderson appeared in 3,081 games to Don Mattingly's 1,785. Don Mattingly's edges on the table are batting average (.307 to .279), slugging percentage (.471 to .419), and OPS (.830 to .820). At the plate, Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), and Don Mattingly walked more often than struck out (588 walks, 444 strikeouts). Rickey Henderson was the more frequent base stealer relative to games played. Don Mattingly's slugging percentage of .471 tops Rickey Henderson's .419.
Rickey Henderson vs Don Mattingly: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Don Mattingly?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Don Mattingly in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Don Mattingly hit more home runs?
- Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Don Mattingly's 222.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Don Mattingly, with .830 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Don Mattingly, with .307 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Don Mattingly's 2,153.