Rickey Henderson vs Stan Musial: Career Stats Comparison
Stan Musial has the better career line of the two, leading 10 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; Stan Musial played 1941–1963 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 Stan Musial (1941–1963) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1940s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Stan Musial finished with 3,630 hits and 475 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Stan Musial, with 475 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Stan Musial, with .976 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Stan Musial, with .331 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Rickey Henderson's 3,055.
- Who drove in more runs? Stan Musial, with 1,951 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Stan Musial, with 83,624 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Stan Musial, with 3 World Series titles to Rickey Henderson's 2.
Rickey Henderson
Stan Musial
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Stan Musial. 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 1940s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Stan Musial |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 3,026 |
| At-Bats | 10,961 | Leads: 10,972 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,949 |
| Hits | 3,055 | Leads: 3,630 |
| Doubles | 510 | Leads: 725 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 177 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 475 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,951 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 1,599 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 696 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 78 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .331 |
| On-Base % | .401 | Leads: .417 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .559 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .976 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Stan Musial outpaces Rickey Henderson 83,624 to 37,642 — driven by per-season impact — 3,801 PIV per season to 1,298 — rather than by longevity, since Stan Musial played 22 seasons to Rickey Henderson's 29. 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
Stan Musial — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Stan Musial leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and batting average, while Rickey Henderson owns runs and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Stan Musial. PIV agrees: Stan Musial 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 Stan Musial careers compare
The two careers never overlapped: Stan Musial's ended in 1963, and Rickey Henderson debuted in 1979. With 3,081 games against 3,026 across 29 and 22 PIV seasons, neither player's totals owe much to extra seasons. Where Rickey Henderson comes out ahead, it is in games (3,081 to 3,026), runs (2,295 to 1,949), and walks (2,190 to 1,599). At the plate, Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), and Stan Musial walked more often than struck out (1,599 walks, 696 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Stan Musial's hits: 297 of 3,055 for Rickey Henderson, 475 of 3,630 for Stan Musial.
Rickey Henderson vs Stan Musial: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Stan Musial?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Stan Musial leads Rickey Henderson in 10 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Stan Musial hit more home runs?
- Stan Musial, with 475 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Stan Musial, with .976 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Stan Musial, with .331 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Stan Musial, with 3,630 to Rickey Henderson's 3,055.