Rickey Henderson vs Tim Raines: 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; Tim Raines played 1979–2002 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 Tim Raines (1979–2002) — both broke in during the 1970s, which makes the head-to-head feel like a contemporaries' debate. Rickey Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs; Tim Raines finished with 2,605 hits and 170 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 Tim Raines's 170.
- Who had the higher OPS? Rickey Henderson, with .820 to Tim Raines's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average? Tim Raines, with .294 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits? Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Tim Raines's 2,605.
- Who drove in more runs? Rickey Henderson, with 1,115 to Tim Raines's 980.
- Who has the higher career PIV? Rickey Henderson, with 37,642 career PIV to Tim Raines's 25,763.
- Who won more championships? Both — each won 2 World Series titles.
Rickey Henderson
Tim Raines
Career Stats Side-by-Side
Every cell below is a career total or career rate for Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines. 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, so read them against the run environment each player worked in, or use the PIV card below, which is adjusted.
| Statistic | Rickey Henderson | Tim Raines |
|---|---|---|
| Games | Leads: 3,081 | 2,502 |
| At-Bats | Leads: 10,961 | 8,872 |
| Runs | Leads: 2,295 | 1,571 |
| Hits | Leads: 3,055 | 2,605 |
| Doubles | Leads: 510 | 430 |
| Triples | 66 | Leads: 113 |
| Home Runs | Leads: 297 | 170 |
| RBI | Leads: 1,115 | 980 |
| Walks | Leads: 2,190 | 1,330 |
| Strikeouts not scored | 1,694 | 966 |
| Stolen Bases | Leads: 1,406 | 808 |
| Batting Avg | .279 | Leads: .294 |
| On-Base % | Leads: .401 | .385 |
| Slugging % | .419 | Leads: .425 |
| OPS | Leads: .820 | .810 |
PIV Comparison through 2025
By PIV (Player Impact Value), Rickey Henderson outpaces Tim Raines 37,642 to 25,763 — driven by both sides of the ledger: 1,298 PIV per season to 1,073, across 29 seasons to 24. 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
Tim Raines — top 3 seasons by OPS
Verdict
On the head-to-head card, Rickey Henderson leads in hits, home runs, RBI, and runs, while Tim Raines 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 Tim Raines careers compare
Rickey Henderson and Tim Raines were active at the same time between 1979 and 2002. The two careers are close in length, 3,081 games for Rickey Henderson and 2,502 for Tim Raines across 29 and 24 PIV seasons, so the totals compare on fairly even terms. Tim Raines's edges on the table are triples (113 to 66), batting average (.294 to .279), and slugging percentage (.425 to .419). At the plate, Rickey Henderson walked more often than struck out (2,190 walks, 1,694 strikeouts), and Tim Raines walked more often than struck out (1,330 walks, 966 strikeouts).
Rickey Henderson vs Tim Raines: Frequently Asked Questions
- Who was better, Rickey Henderson or Tim Raines?
- By the career statistics compared on this page, Rickey Henderson leads Tim Raines in 11 of the 14 scored categories.
- Did Rickey Henderson or Tim Raines hit more home runs?
- Rickey Henderson, with 297 to Tim Raines's 170.
- Who had the higher OPS?
- Rickey Henderson, with .820 to Tim Raines's .810.
- Who had the higher batting average?
- Tim Raines, with .294 to Rickey Henderson's .279.
- Who had more hits?
- Rickey Henderson, with 3,055 to Tim Raines's 2,605.