Rickey Henderson vs Jorge Posada: Career Stats Comparison
Rickey Henderson has the better career line of the two, leading 12 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; Jorge Posada played 1995–2011 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 Jorge Posada (1995–2011) — they broke in during the 1970s and the 1990s respectively, which makes the side-by-side worth doing carefully. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Jorge Posada finished with 1,664 hits and 275 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 Jorge Posada's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS? Jorge Posada, with .848 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average? Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Jorge Posada's .273.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Jorge Posada's 1,664.
- Who drove in more runs? Rickey Henderson, with 1,115 to Jorge Posada's 1,065.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Jorge Posada's 17,843.
- Who won more championships? Jorge Posada, with 5 World Series titles to Rickey Henderson's 2.
Rickey Henderson
Jorge Posada
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Jorge Posada. 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 1990s were different run environments, so read them against their eras, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Jorge Posada |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 1,829 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 6,092 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 900 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 1,664 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 379 |
| Triples | Leads: 66 | 10 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 297 | 275 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,115 | 1,065 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 936 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 1,453 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 20 |
| Batting Avg | Leads: .279 | .273 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .374 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .474 |
| OPS | .820 | Leads: .848 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Jorge Posada 37,642 to 17,843 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,298 PIV per season to 1,050, across 29 seasons to 17. 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
Jorge Posada — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Jorge Posada owns 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 Jorge Posada careers compare
The careers of Rickey Henderson (1979–2003) and Jorge Posada (1995–2011) overlapped from 1995 to 2003, so for those seasons they faced the same league conditions. Rickey Henderson has the far longer record, 3,081 games against 1,829 across 29 and 17 PIV seasons, which inflates every career total. The green cells for Jorge Posada are slugging percentage (.474 to .419) and OPS (.848 to .820). Plate discipline differs: Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), but Jorge Posada struck out more than walked (1,453 to 936). Jorge Posada is the more power-leaning hitter, with 275 of 1,664 hits leaving the park.
Rickey Henderson vs Jorge Posada: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Jorge Posada?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Jorge Posada in 12 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Jorge Posada hit more home runs?
- Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Jorge Posada's 275.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Jorge Posada, with .848 to Rickey Henderson's .820.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Rickey Henderson, with .279 to Jorge Posada's .273.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Jorge Posada's 1,664.