Rickey Henderson vs Rafael Palmeiro: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 8 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; Rafael Palmeiro played 1986–2005 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 Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) — 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; Rafael Palmeiro finished with 3,020 hits and 569 home runs. Below is the full career table, PIV adjustment, peak seasons, and a verdict.
Quick answer
- Who hit more home runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Rafael Palmeiro's 3,020.
- Who drove in more runs? Rafael Palmeiro, with 1,835 to Rickey Henderson's 1,115.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rafael Palmeiro, with 42,814 career PIV to Rickey Henderson's 37,642.
- Who won more championships? Rickey Henderson, with 2 World Series titles to Rafael Palmeiro's 0.
Rickey Henderson
Rafael Palmeiro
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Rafael Palmeiro. 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 | Rafael Palmeiro |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,831 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 10,472 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,663 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 3,020 |
| Doubles | 510 | Leads: 585 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 38 |
| Home Runs | 297 | Leads: 569 |
| RBI | 1,115 | Leads: 1,835 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 1,353 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,348 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 97 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .288 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .371 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .515 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .885 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rafael Palmeiro leads Rickey Henderson 42,814 to 37,642 — driven by per-season impact — 2,141 PIV per season to 1,298 — rather than by longevity, since Rafael Palmeiro played 20 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
Rafael Palmeiro — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rafael Palmeiro leads in home runs, RBI, batting average, and OPS, while Rickey Henderson owns hits, runs, and stolen bases. That doesn't settle the era debate, but on the raw scoreboard the edge goes to Rafael Palmeiro. PIV agrees: Rafael Palmeiro 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 Rafael Palmeiro careers compare
The careers of Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Rafael Palmeiro (1986–2005) overlapped from 1986 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. The two careers are close in length, 3,081 games for Rickey Henderson and 2,831 for Rafael Palmeiro across 29 and 20 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts); Rafael Palmeiro walked more often than struck out (1,353 walks, 1,348 strikeouts). Home runs make up a larger share of Rafael Palmeiro's hits: 297 of 3,055 for Rickey Henderson, 569 of 3,020 for Rafael Palmeiro.
Rickey Henderson vs Rafael Palmeiro: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Rafael Palmeiro?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Rafael Palmeiro in 8 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Rafael Palmeiro hit more home runs?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with 569 to Rickey Henderson's 297.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .885 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rafael Palmeiro, with .288 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Rafael Palmeiro's 3,020.